Life as a House
by Shootingstar7123
Summary: A collection of short stories chronicling House and Cameron's relationship, marriage, and family. Mostly fluffy. Post season 5. No relation to the movie of the same title.
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Life as a House:

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A/N: Thank you all for beginning to read my collection of stories! As it said in the summary, this is a collection of short stories relating various points of the relationship between House and Cameron. They are in the order I write them rather than chronological order. Hopefully this will not be too confusing.

This is all set sometime in the future, after season 5. Although I have only seen the episodes through season 3, I am familiar with most (not all) of what goes on in the following two seasons and have tried to keep this somewhat canon in its history.

The stories are pretty fluffy, so if you're not into that, this may not be the thing for you. The topics covered are romance, family, a bit of light humor, and some occasional angst.

I'm not here to work on my writing abilities or to receive intense critique--I'm writing for fun and because I enjoy the stories. I'm sure my characterization of House is off, more in some of the stories than others. For that, and any other mistakes or inconsistencies I apologize.

Sorry about the length of the note. Now on to the stories!

-

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: Dr. Cameron mysteriously collapses at work, sending her coworkers into a frenzy. House has fun shocking Cuddy with a big secret.

---

House was moving through Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital as fast as he could. _"Damn this leg," _he thought. Several people turned and stared, not used to seeing Dr. House in such a hurry.

He entered the elevator and pushed the button. It seemed to take forever to reach his destination. Once out of the elevator, he nearly collided with Dr. Cuddy.

"Where is she?" He demanded of his boss.

"Dr. Cameron? I can't let you in there!" Cuddy responded incredulously.

House pushed past her, and she ran up in front of him again, blocking him from the doorway.

"She needs peace and quiet, neither of which are your strong suits," Cuddy protested, annoyed.

"Well, then, you have to tell me what's wrong," House countered, pushing towards the window to see Allison sleeping peacefully, with an IV attached to her arm.

Cuddy followed him, attempting to stay between him and the patient's room. "I do not have to give you access to your co-worker's personal medical information! Nor do I have to let you see her. You're not even her boss anymore." She stayed resolute.

"_I'm going to enjoy this,"_ Dr. House thought. "You mean you're going to keep me out of my own wife's room?" he said mischievously.

"House, that isn't funny! Now get out of here!" Cuddy said, now angry.

"No, it's not funny at all. It's quite serious, in fact," he responded, digging in his pocket. "Ah… here it is." House pulled a band out of his pocket, pointedly sliding it onto his wedding finger. "It's just so hard to keep track of this thing!"

Dr. Cuddy looked amazed. "I appreciate the effort, but the joke's not funny. I can't let you in."

"Fine," House said. "Ask her."

"Why would I do that?" Cuddy asked. "It's obviously a joke."

"Ask her." House looked serious.

"_House is getting better at acting,"_ Cuddy thought. "Fine, but if you're lying…" She just shook her head. _"I can't believe I'm doing this,"_ Cuddy thought.

Cameron woke when she heard a voice.

"Dr. Cameron… Allison… I'm sorry I have to do this." The voice was Cuddy's.

"Hmm?" Cameron responded groggily, still half asleep.

"House claims that you two are married. Is that true?" Cuddy sounded annoyed.

Allison looked shocked, fully awake now, and glanced toward the doorway where her Greg now stood.

"I told her, Allison," he said matter-of-factly. Cameron looked back at Dr. Cuddy and weakly nodded.

"What?" Cuddy dropped into the chair beside Dr. Cameron's bed, pressing her hand to her chest.

"Yep! She's Mrs. House now," House said, contrivedly cheerful, moving from the doorway towards the bed.

"I'm still going to go by Dr. Cameron at the hospital," Allison assured her.

"This is a joke…" Cuddy looked completely bewildered.

"It's true, Dr. Cuddy," Cameron said seriously.

"If you say so, Dr. Cameron. I trust your word. Not his," she said, nodding towards House, who gave her an injured look.

Cuddy stood and attempted to collect her thoughts. "Well in that case, I guess my news is for you both."

She paced at the foot of the bed. "We have discovered the cause for your sudden collapse. You were dehydrated, and your blood pressure was low. However, these both stem from an underlying condition. According to the blood test, Dr. Cameron, you're pregnant."

Allison looked like she was going to faint again, the color drained from her face. Greg showed no sign of surprise.

"Pregnant?" Cameron managed to whisper.

"I'm going to leave you two alone with the news," Cuddy said, making a quick escape.

Once she left, House looked at his young wife, who still looked pale. "Come on, Allison, you've been sick for weeks. How could you not have guessed?"

"You knew?" She asked incredulously. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you had figured it out!" House replied, sitting down by his wife's bed.

"I thought it couldn't be… We've only been married such a short time," she faltered. "You're okay with this?"

"I knew it would happen sooner or later." Greg made light of the situation.

Cameron was persistent. "You're sure you're okay with this?"

"I knew what I was getting into marrying you, Allison," he said simply, conveying what he meant without saying it. "Anyways, when is Cuddy letting you out of your cell?"

"She thinks it's best if I stay at least until the end of the day," Cameron sighed.

"Well I can avoid work for another hour or so," Greg responded. "Just enough time to catch General Hospital!"

-

At the end of the day, Cuddy determined that Cameron would have to stay on the IV overnight. She was released in the morning and told to take the day off. House would have to face the barrage of questions at work alone.

He walked into the Diagnostics department to find both Chase and Foreman waiting for him. Foreman looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Married, huh?"

"Hey, Blackie, Wombat. Shouldn't you be working?" House said, avoiding the question.

"Have you been dating all this time and we didn't know?" Foreman continued, ignoring Dr. House's statement.

"How did you keep this from everyone?" Chase added. Chase seemed distraught.

"I'm very sneaky," House replied with a sarcastic smile. "Now are you here to work for me or just be nosy?"

As they left, Wilson ran in looking agitated. House groaned. Wilson was going to kill him for keeping this secret from him.

-

House had been called into Dr. Cuddy's office.

"What do you want now?" he asked, annoyed. He sat down across the desk from her.

She looked up from her work. "You need to change your paperwork due to your sudden change in marital status."

"Doesn't Allison have to do this too? Can't she do it for me?" House whined.

"It's no secret from me that she does your paperwork, but it's time to turn the tables. You're going to fill out both sets!" Dr. Cuddy said with a fake smile.

"Oh, man…" he whined some more.

"Get to work!" Cuddy commanded.

House filled out the forms, not without more whining, and handed them back to his boss. She shuffled through them.

"This happened a whole two months ago?" Cuddy paused for a minute, thinking. "When you were supposed to be at that conference in Las Vegas? I don't believe this," she said, sounding incredulous.

"I _was_ in Vegas," House responded with an infuriating smile.

"And Cameron was supposed to be visiting her parents that week," Cuddy said, putting the pieces together.

"She, on the other hand, is a liar," House said pretending to be serious. "Her parents don't live in Vegas," he confided.

Cuddy just shook her head. "I really can't believe it. The sarcastic, miserable Dr. House has gotten married? I never thought I'd live to see the day."

She leaned over her work again. "Now, out! I have work to do, and you have clinic duty." She gave him a look.

-

Greg came home to see his beautiful wife in bed.

"How are you feeling?" he said, in a voice he only used with her.

"A bit better," she said, sighing and leaning into her husband's chest. "How was your day?"

"Ugh," he grunted.

She laughed. "That bad?"

"Everyone wanted to know about our wedding, Cuddy made me fill out a bunch of paperwork, AND I had clinic duty," he whined.

Allison laughed harder, pulling him closer. "Well, now that you've taken care of the nosy people, I guess that means I can wear this to work now," she said, twirling her sparkling solitaire and matching band on her finger.

Greg grabbed that hand with his and kissed it. _"How could I have gotten this lucky?"_ he thought, running his eyes over her alabaster skin, long dark hair and blue-gray eyes.

"I love you," he said.

She smiled. "I love you too."

And with that, she closed her eyes, and, snuggling close to her husband, fell fast asleep.

-


	2. A Conference Gone Wrong… Or Right?

Life as a House:

A Conference Gone Wrong… Or Right?

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: House and Cameron have hardly spoken since House admitted his feelings and took Cameron on a date. They are forced to go to a conference in Chicago together, and House gets a big surprise.

---

"But I don't wanna!" House whined, standing across the desk from where Cuddy sat.

"I don't care if you don't wanna," Cuddy mocked. "You're going, and that's final."

House stormed out of her office, as well as anyone with a limp could.

He didn't really have a destination in mind, but somehow he ended up outside Wilson's door. When there was no response to his knock, he went around to the back way, letting himself in from the balcony.

He looked around the office. _"No Wilson,"_ he thought. He sat in Wilson's chair and waited.

Not much time had passed before he heard the jingle of keys and voices outside the door.

"Cuddy's making me be House's keeper for a week." He knew that voice—it was Cameron! He leaned forward to hear more.

"Well I'm glad it's not me… I'm tired of that job!" Wilson joked.

"How are things with House, by the way?" he asked in a lower tone as he finally got the door unlocked.

"I don't know…" was all Cameron got out before the pair saw House sitting with his feet on Wilson's desk.

"House!" Wilson exclaimed on sight of him. Cameron looked shocked and a little embarrassed.

"I was here to complain about Cuddy forcing me to go to the conference in Chicago, but it seems you've already heard about that," House explained, with a look at Cameron.

Cameron blushed scarlet. She hadn't realized House had heard their conversation.

"Wilson's all yours," she said, making a hasty exit.

Wilson closed the door behind her, and turned to face House. "What's that about?"

"I'm irresistible. She had to leave before she made a fool of herself," House retorted.

"Seriously," Wilson said, taking a seat. "What happened between you two?"

"She's been weird around me since the date," House said candidly.

"She's probably afraid to make another move," Wilson mused. "You were nice enough on one date, but she's afraid to push it further."

"You're good at getting in women's heads. I'm better at getting in their pants," House commented. "Is that how you got all three wives?"

"Shut up, House. Stop deflecting—this isn't about me." Wilson gave him a look, but changed the subject. "Tell me about this conference."

"All week next week, schmoozing, boozing, and really boring lectures. I haven't been to a conference in ten years, and now Cuddy's making me go," House said, playing with the things on Wilson's desk.

"That's probably why," Wilson snorted. "And Cameron has to go to smooth things over between you and whatever unfortunate souls you end up talking to." He put the pieces together.

"Wonder when Cuddy was going to tell me Cameron was going?"

"Probably as you were getting on the plane. Less resistance that way," Wilson laughed.

"This is going to be awkward," House moaned as he slid down in Wilson's chair.

"That's up to you," Wilson said with a shrug.

-

"Reservations for Gregory House," he stated at the counter.

Cameron yawned. They had been up very early that morning to catch the flight, and she had slept on the cab ride from the airport. She paid little attention to the exchange between House and the receptionist.

"Here you are," the receptionist said, handing a couple of room keys to House. "It's room 422, just head up the elevators and down the hall to your right."

This snapped Cameron to attention. "Wait, did you just say one room? There must be a second."

The receptionist typed on her computer. "Just one reservation for Gregory House," she said apologetically. "And unfortunately, we're completely booked due to the medical conference. I'll let you know if anything opens up."

Cameron looked at House angrily. "Cuddy booked it!" he defended. "Don't blame me!"

"Fine," she grumbled, snatching a key from House's hand and dragging her bag to the elevator.

-

After unpacking, Cameron seemed to have calmed down a bit. "What's today's schedule?" she asked, sitting on one of the two double beds in the room.

House looked at a sheet on the bedside table. "Banquet tonight at 8 in the ballroom," he said.

"That means we need to grab some lunch on our own," she began, but she was interrupted by a ring from her cell phone. "One sec," she said, answering it.

"Hey, Kate!" she said cheerfully into the phone. A pause. "Yes, I'm at the hotel. No lunch plans yet, but," she stole a quick glance at House, "my coworker is with me."

"_Is that all we are?"_ House wondered. He didn't like the idea of that at all.

"No way!" she said emphatically, bringing House out of his reverie. She paused again. Something caused her to roll her eyes. "If you insist," she conceded. "See you in a bit." She hung up the phone.

House looked at her with curious eyes. She sighed. "A couple of blocks down is a place called Mike's Pizzeria. We need to be there in," she stopped to look at her watch, "20 minutes."

"Who were you talking to?" he asked.

"Mystery," she replied with a smile. "I know how you love those," she teased.

As Cameron went into the bathroom to ready herself, House pondered what had gone on. It was an anomaly. He loved anomalies. _"Who could Cameron know in Chicago?"_ he wondered. He had read her file. She didn't grow up in Chicago.

He didn't have much time to consider all of this because before he knew it, Cameron was dragging him out the door. He hardly had time to pop a couple vicodin before their walk.

They stopped outside a small pizza parlor. "Ever had real Chicago pizza?" Cameron asked. House shook his head. She smiled, but took a deep breath before heading inside, as if she was preparing herself.

They were hardly inside before a woman had rushed up to Cameron and pulled her into a tight hug. "Allie!" she called out.

He appraised the woman quickly. She had Cameron's eyes, but she was taller, with lighter hair and more lines on her face. When their embrace had ended, he found himself being laughingly introduced to the woman, Kate, apparently Cameron's sister.

Kate led the two over to a large booth in the corner. "Mike!" Cameron shouted with surprise as the man stood to hug her. "What are you doing in Chicago?"

The other man at the table answered for him. "All I had to do was tell him you were coming, Allie, and he booked the flight. You always were the favorite," he teased.

Cameron was practically beaming with joy. House guessed that the two men were also siblings; they had Cameron's eyes as well.

"Guys, this is House, he was my boss a couple of years ago, if you remember. House, these are Mike and Matt, my older brothers." The two guys grinned up at him after sharing a knowing glance at hearing his name.

"How's it going?" the one that was apparently Matt asked.

"Stuck in a room with your annoying sister for a week," House said with a fake angry look.

"I feel your pain," Mike said with a mischievous grin. "I had to live with her for years!"

The siblings laughed at House's surprise as Cameron rolled her eyes.

"They know how you are," Cameron said with a smile. "They're not going to be shocked by anything you say!"

"Guess I'll have to become more shocking," House said with a smile back.

"Large meat lovers," Cameron said to the waitress when she came over to question them. "We always get the same thing," she said as an aside to House.

"So what are you up to?" she asked the siblings.

"Kate's playing hooky from work!" Mike crowed joyfully.

Kate just laughed. "I took the afternoon off," she explained. "I'm not actually skipping!"

"Speaking of skipping," she added, "You need to skip out on one of those dinners so you can come eat at my house! The kids are dying to see you, Allie!"

"We better be invited too," Matt directed at her with a fake frown.

"Of course! It'll be a Jackson family get together!" she smiled.

House looked at Cameron questioningly.

She shook her head, indicating to him to hold on to his question for later.

"You can come too, of course," Kate said warmly to House.

"You don't want to miss it!" Mike said enthusiastically. "Kate is the best cook."

"I'll be there," House said with a smile.

Cameron was surprised. Why was House so interested in her family?

-

"I'm going to have to defend you from all the creepy old doctors," House said with a frown, seeing how Cameron looked in her dress for the banquet.

"I can take care of myself just fine," she defended.

"Can't you just take a compliment?" House said exasperatedly.

Cameron didn't reply, just continued working on her hair for the evening.

House tried a change in conversation. "So why aren't their last names Cameron?"

"Cameron was my married name," she answered without turning to face him.

"Why keep the name of a man you were married to for less than a year?" House asked, as much to himself as to her. There was no malice in his voice, only wondering.

"I had to keep some part of him," she replied, surprising him with her honesty. "Come on, it's time to go downstairs," she added, getting up from her place at the mirror.

He placed a hand on her back gently as they walked, and she started at the surprise of his gentle touch.

-

Several days had passed of Cameron elbowing House to keep him awake during lectures, and dinners at night with more boring speakers. She had taken him on some tours of the city, and House wondered how she knew it so well.

They were stopped at an ice cream parlor a block from the hotel. "You didn't grow up here," House stated. Cameron didn't take the bait and answer the veiled question.

"No, I didn't."

House sighed, hating to ask directly. "Why do you know the city so well?"

She was honest in her reply. House always knew when she was lying. "After my parents' divorce, my father moved here. I spent summers with him growing up."

House knew that wasn't the whole story, but knew she wouldn't tell the whole story if prodded now. He had to wait for the right moment.

"Hey, we better get going," Cameron said suddenly, looking at her watch. "We have to be at Kate's at six and it's five now."

The two hurried back to the hotel to get changed and ready.

-

"Aunt Allie!" The cry rang out as a small person attacked Cameron at waist level.

Cameron just laughed and leaned down to hug the girl back. "Hey, Karen!"

Another small figure ran up to join the hug. "Hey, Joel," she added lifting up the little boy.

House was standing awkwardly in the entryway next to her. She finally turned to him, carrying a young boy and holding the hand of a girl.

She had laughter in her eyes, something he never saw at the hospital. "House, this is Joel," she motioned to the child in her arms, "and he's six. And Karen here is nine."

"His name is House?" Karen wrinkled her nose. "That's a funny name."

"I'm a funny guy," House said, making a ridiculous face. Both children giggled.

House never ceased to surprise her. She had expected him to be repulsed by children.

Kate entered the room, and the children scampered over to her. "Hey, Allie! They guys are in the basement playing air hockey. Why don't you join them?"

Cameron stole a quick look at House's leg. He knew what she meant. "You go ahead," he said to her.

She smiled at him and headed downstairs, children trailing after her.

Kate gave House an appraising look before heading back into the kitchen. House limped after her, seating himself at the kitchen table.

"So you're the guy who's stolen our sister's heart," she said over the stove, facing away from him.

House just stared after her in surprise. "I was under the impression she wasn't interested anymore."

Kate turned to look at him with a little smile. "You don't know Allie that well yet, do you? She's still completely in love. She's just afraid to take that leap of faith. She's been hurt enough times." She added, with a slight change in tone, "Even by you."

House winced at her words. He knew it was true, and regretted it. He had felt it was necessary; she had been his subordinate at the time. It was inappropriate for them to be involved.

"I'd make up for it all if she'd just let me," he said in a rare moment of bare honesty.

"And that's the trick," she said wryly. It was silent for a few moments.

"We're rooting for you," she added, referring to the siblings. "Allison hasn't been this much in love since her husband died."

Kate turned to him, and he saw that she had tears in her eyes. "We want the best for her."

"And you think that's me?" House said incredulously. He knew he wasn't good enough for her.

"You love each other," she said simply.

House opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped him with a smile. "I know love when I see it."

-

Downstairs a similar conversation was taking place over an air hockey game, Matt and Kate's husband, David, versus Mike and Allison.

"So this is the guy you've been pining for," Matt said.

"I like him," Mike said.

Cameron looked at him in disbelief. "No one likes House."

All three guys laughed. "He's not that bad," Matt said in defense of House.

"He balances you," Mike added.

"I don't know if he's really into me," Cameron admitted.

"Score!" Matt cheered as his puck went in their goal.

The other siblings groaned before continuing the game and their conversation.

"You're telling me you don't know if he's into you after he proclaimed his love for you and invited you on a date?" David said skeptically.

"And then avoided me since then!" she defended.

"Ha!" she taunted, having made a goal for her team.

Back on topic, Matt explained it to her. "He's not an emotional guy. He just admitted to you that he has feelings and now feels vulnerable. He backed off to protect his pride."

"I guess that's possible," Cameron admitted.

"Game over, food's ready," Kate said from the top of the stairs.

The four of them dropped the game and raced to the table.

-

Dinner was uneventful, with witty banter from all sides. House wasn't used to being around people who could match his comments, but he enjoyed it. He was introduced to David, who was more serious than the Jackson siblings but still played along in their little games.

After dinner they headed into a spacious living room with desserts and coffee.

"Come on, Allie," Mike goaded.

"What's going on?" House asked.

Kate answered him. "It's Jackson family tradition to have music after dinner, and since Allie hasn't been here in a while, we're making her play for us."

House glanced between the baby grand piano and Cameron, who was trying to avoid being pulled from the couch by her brother.

"You play?" he asked her, amazed.

"Only a little," she admitted. "Matt's the real musician in the family."

"Here," Matt said, sitting at the piano and patting the bench next to him. "We'll play together, Allie."

Cameron rolled her eyes. "Fine, but only one song."

"We get to pick, then!" Kate said, a twinkle in her eye.

"What will it be?" she asked the family.

"The little mermaid!" Karen said, making the adults laugh. House saw that the other child was on the floor playing with a toy train, ignoring the conversation.

"Till there was you," Matt said. "From the Music Man. You know that one, Allie."

Cameron shook her head with a smile, knowing she couldn't get out of this one.

"You sing," Matt instructed, and they both turned towards the keys.

House listened carefully. Matt was certainly carrying most of the weight on piano, but Allison's voice was really very good.

Afterwards, the whole Jackson clan clapped and cheered.

"And that's my contribution for the night," Cameron said with a bow. She seated herself next to House.

They watched as Karen did an adorable and comical rendition of 'Sixteen Going on Seventeen' from the Sound of Music.

"We were raised on show tunes," Cameron explained.

"And Sinatra!" Mike added, giving a nod to Matt to begin playing.

"How did you learn to play?" House asked Cameron when the music had stopped.

"Lessons as a kid," she answered.

"And softball," Matt added with a smile.

"And soccer, and gymnastics, and ballet!" Kate added laughingly.

"Oh, God, the ballet," Mike moaned. Cameron groaned.

"Biggest disaster ever," she said.

"You?" House asked in surprise.

"The grace was learned," Kate said smiling. "She was a clumsy kid. So many broken bones!"

"Those were Mike's fault!" Cameron protested.

"Not all of them, kid!" he said, grinning.

The conversation came to a halt when Joel came to crawl into his mother's lap.

"It's getting late," Kate said. "I need to get these two to bed," she said, nodding to the child in her arms and the young girl sitting next to her trying not to look tired.

"I'll help you out," Cameron said, taking Karen's hand and following Kate upstairs.

House was left with the men of the Jackson family.

"So, when are you going to make another move on my sister?" Mike said.

House looked surprised. "Oh, don't be surprised. We know all about you," Mike added.

House looked even more surprised.

Matt came over. "Our sister is in love with you, and like it when she gets what she wants. We're on your side, but you need to make a move."

House was pleased—he was glad to have more allies than Wilson in this, but he was a bit embarrassed that so many people now knew his feelings.

"She hasn't been in love like this in years," Matt said, nearly echoing what Kate had said earlier. "Don't let her down."

House nodded. "I don't plan to."

He added, "I have a plan, but I need a bit of your help."

-

They were relaxing at the hotel after a quiet cab ride from Kate's house. Cameron seemed at ease, so House tried his luck.

"What's the rest of the story?"

"About?" Cameron questioned.

"Your dad," House added softly, looking at Cameron on the other bed.

She sighed. "Don't go telling people at work about this, okay?"

"Promise."

Cameron scrutinized him closely, but House looked sincere.

"I was 8 years old when my parents divorced. My father had an affair with his secretary." Quiet anger was evident in Cameron's voice.

"He left us for the woman, and married her as soon as the divorce was finalized. Big white wedding. All the trimmings," she said, shaking her head.

"It wasn't so bad until the kids came along. I have two half brothers, Ethan and Evan. After they were born, my father wanted to forget us. Apparently he only had room in his heart for one family, and that was his new one," she spat out bitterly.

House moved over to sit on the edge of her bed. He awkwardly put an arm around her. Apparently Cameron found comfort in the gesture, leaning into him as she continued.

"I spent every summer here from the time of the divorce until I turned 18. He hated having me here. I was just a reminder of everything he wanted to forget. Claire, his wife, found me to be a convenient babysitter, though," she added sarcastically.

"I guess I'm just as damaged as you always thought," she said wryly before bursting into tears.

House wrapped his other arm around her, holding her until her eyes were dry.

-

It was their last day in Chicago.

They had just returned to the hotel after a luncheon with many world-renowned and rather boring doctors.

"Mike wants us to come with them down by the waterfront for the afternoon," Cameron said after getting off the phone.

"My leg's bothering me," House lied. "I think I'll hang around here for the afternoon." Actually the converse was true. Things had been so carefree lately that he hadn't really noticed the pain letting up a bit.

"You sure?" Cameron looked concerned.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me, though," he said. "You go have fun."

"Okay," she responded, looking unsure.

"Go on, I'll be fine," House reassured her with a smile.

He had to wait several minutes after she left to be sure the coast was clear. Once he was sure she had gone, he slipped out of the room.

-

The family had distracted Cameron until the sun had set. Matt walked her back to the hotel, knowing what waited for her.

He said goodnight in the lobby—the family would be at the airport in the morning to say their real goodbyes.

Cameron made her way upstairs to the room. She was hungry but tired. _"How angry will Cuddy be if we skip two of the dinners?"_ she wondered.

Her thoughts were halted upon entering the room. There was a large bouquet of white roses on her bed, and House was nowhere to be found. She saw a card beside the flowers.

"_Put on the new dress in the closet and someone will be here at seven to pick you up."_

Cameron was very confused by the simple note. There was no signature. _"Could this be from House?"_ she wondered. He _was_ conspicuously absent.

She did as the note instructed. The dress in her closet was a simple, but elegant white sundress. She slipped it on, amazed that the sizing was correct.

A bellboy was at the door at seven. She was surprised that instead of leading her downstairs, he took her to the roof.

A step outside revealed to her the entire secret.

She was blown away by the sight of House with a bottle of champagne and what must be dinner hidden beneath a silver cover.

Even more amazing was the view. She could see the sparkling lights of downtown Chicago reflecting on Lake Michigan.

She was speechless.

"What is this?" she asked, upon regaining her ability to speak.

"I'm making my move," he said, and kissed her.

-


	3. A Wayward Meeting

Life as a House:

A Wayward Meeting

A/N: This chapter is totally angsty, which isn't really my style. However, I couldn't imagine House and Cameron getting together without some angst! This chapter begins their relationship.

-

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: Dr. House catches Cameron on the roof, in what he considers "his" place. This wayward meeting leads to changes in how they perceive each other.

---

House moved slowly up the stairs, looking more miserable than usual. He pushed open the door to exit onto the roof. He looked out—it was sunset. And then he saw her, or rather, her silhouette.

In a grumpy voice, House said, "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

She didn't react. "I wanted to be alone. The roof seemed like a good place until now."

"Of course it's a good place, it was my idea first! Now go on and find your own," House said, limping up next to her.

She turned away from him, not allowing him to see her face. He stared after her. "Are you crying?" he asked.

"Why would you care?" she answered with resentment in her voice, moving further from him.

"Sure I care," he said, staring at her from where he stood.

"No." She turned to face him, her face streaked with tears. "You don't care, you just want to figure me out, like a puzzle. Like one of your patients!" she cried angrily. "You're just an ass who toys with people's feeling and lives to get what you want." She stormed off towards the door, turning back for a moment for one last jab. "You're not going to get to play your game this time, House. I'm not a puzzle."

"Allison, wait," House called after her, not moving from his post. His eyes were difficult to read.

She stopped, just before reaching the door. "What did you call me?" she asked, turning back. Her face showed disbelief. "You never call me that."

"Got your attention, didn't it?" House responded. "Listen, Cameron, I'm sorry." _"What am I doing?" _he thought. He never apologized_._

"Now you even apologize to get what you want? You just want me to stop showing emotion," she replied, moving close to him until her tear stained face was only inches from his. "It makes you uncomfortable."

"Just because you're afraid of your own emotions doesn't mean that others should always be forced to hide theirs," Allison continued. "You can have the roof," she said backing away. "You won't have to worry about catching me up here again."

She ran inside, leaving House standing thoughtfully alone.

-

He entered the hospital the next morning, dreading seeing Cameron. _"She was just over-emotional," _he reassured himself. However, the doubt still lingered in the back of his mind that she might have been a bit right.

The day wore on with no reminders of the night before. House avoided the ER like the plague.

Cameron was embarrassed by her outburst. She just wanted to forget it and get on with her life. House had caught her in a weak moment out on the roof. She had applied careful makeup to cover the redness around her eyes from the tears. She just wanted this day to be over.

-

House was in Cuddy's office at the end of the day. _"Always in trouble for something,"_ he thought.

"You've heard about the hospital fundraiser gala, I hope?" Cuddy said, still busying herself. "Next Saturday night."

"I believe I threw away the invitation." House responded.

"You have to be there to represent the hospital," Cuddy countered. "You have no choice about the matter."

"Do you really want ME representing the hospital?" House asked maddeningly.

"You're going," Cuddy said forcefully.

"Fine," he said grumpily, heading out of the room.

"Oh," Cuddy remembered as he was almost out the door. "And bring a date."

House turned around. "Dr. Cuddy," he said, turning on the charm. "Wouldn't you like to be my date?"

She smiled sweetly at him before pointedly saying, "No," her smile dropping instantly, replaced with annoyance.

-

"Cuddy's making me go to the stupid fundraiser thing next week," House told his best friend, still in a foul mood.

"We all have to go, House." Wilson shrugged.

"She's making me take a date," House admitted with a sigh and an eye roll.

Wilson laughed. "So who are you going to ask?"

"That's the problem," House said.

"Ask Cuddy?" he smirked.

"She said no already."

Wilson laughed again. "Why doesn't that surprise me? What about Cameron? She wouldn't say no."

"She hates me," House stated.

"Cameron doesn't hate anyone," Wilson said with an eye roll. He paused. "Wait…what did you do?" he accused.

"Nothing!" House defended. "I haven't treated her any differently."

Wilson snorted, amused. "Well, that's your problem."

House sighed. "She was on the roof the other night when I went up there. You know, the place that no one goes because it's _mine_?" He paused a bit before continuing. "I told her to find somewhere else, and she got angry. Apparently she had been…" House waved a hand and shook his head a bit. "…crying or something."

"Did you make her cry?" Wilson asked accusingly.

"She was already crying! I didn't do anything!" House defensively responded. "I asked her if she was crying, and then she got all angry at me. Called me an ass."

"You are an ass," Wilson said with a smile.

"And she said all kinds of other things about me too," House said, remembering. "She said I didn't care, only wanted to solve her like a puzzle, and that I toy with other peoples lives."

"Accurate, but unexpected coming from Cameron," Wilson mused.

"And when I tried to apologize," House continued, "She yelled at me some more! Then she stormed off."

"Wait, wait…" Wilson said. "You apologized? You have a crush on Cameron or something?"

"I had to shut her up somehow!" House defended.

"You do have a crush on Cameron!" Wilson grinned. "Ask her to the gala."

"I told you, she hates me," House responded. "Oh, and I do not have a crush on her!"

"Whatever you say," Wilson said with a grin.

House shook his head and left Wilson alone in his office.

-

House paged Cameron to his office the next day.

"What's up?" she asked coolly.

"Cameron, are you going to the fundraising gala?" House asked her, spinning his cane.

She looked confused and a bit suspicious. "I haven't decided yet. Why?"

"Cuddy told me I had to have a date," House told her, not meeting her eyes.

"I think it's best if we don't go that route," Cameron said. She moved to leave.

"Cameron, stop."

She stopped and turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised.

"I… I don't know anyone else," House stated, embarrassed.

Cameron sighed, softening a bit. "Fine. Just this one time. After this I hope you'll have the decency to leave me alone." Her voice became hard and angry as she turned to go.

-

House went up to Cameron's apartment and rang the bell while simultaneously tugging on his tie. Standing there with the corsage, he felt a bit of deja vu. The last time he picked her up this way, it didn't go so well. _"It was my own fault, of course,"_ he thought.

When Cameron finally answered the door, House was nearly at a loss for words. "You clean up well, kid," he finally said, handing her the corsage.

"Likewise," she said. "I'm just about ready. Just give me a couple minutes." Cameron left the room.

House couldn't get his mind off her. He moved to view her through the doorway. He ran his eyes over her floor-length red gown that hugged her toned body. _"Snap out of it, House,"_ he thought to himself. _"She's at least 15 years younger than you."_

When he came out of his reverie, Cameron was staring at him. "Something wrong?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, nothing," he responded. "Now lets go see what kind of torture Cuddy has devised for me." House smiled a bit and led Cameron out.

-

The two of them nervously entered a crowded room.

House was terribly uncomfortable with these sorts of things. Schmoozing potential hospital benefactors wasn't really his strong suit.

Cameron, on the other hand, was simply uncomfortable about being there with House. _"How long before he starts acting like an ass?"_ she wondered.

Chase and Foreman walked up to them with their dates. Foreman spoke first. "House, Cam, I want you to meet Fiona. You might have seen her around. She's a nurse in the maternity ward. Fiona, this is Dr. House and Dr. Cameron."

"Nice to meet you, Fiona," Allison responded, glad for the distraction.

"And this is Julie. She and I have been friends since high school," Chase added.

"What, Chase didn't bring a real date?" House mocked.

Chase looked hurt. "We're going to go get some champagne," Chase said, looking for a reason to escape.

Foreman gave House a look. Cameron looked upset.

House distractedly ignored their silent protest. "Oh no," he groaned, "Cuddy is on her way over."

"Dr. House?" she said with a fake smile, clearly put on for the man following her. "I'd like you to come meet some people."

House followed her dejectedly.

Cameron now turned to speak with Foreman and his date, Fiona.

"You guys here together? Never thought I'd see that," Foreman smirked.

"It's not a date," she replied, exasperated. "I'm doing him a favor. He had no one to go with."

"Chase is jealous," he replied with a smile, glancing over towards the blonde doctor, who was throwing occasional glances back their way as well.

"What, Chase is jealous because I didn't come as his pity date?" Cameron rolled her eyes, but it seemed forced.

"He's never gotten over you," Foreman said with an amused smile.

"Tell me about it," Cameron said quietly.

Fiona, tired of the discussion, pulled Foreman away. "We need to go, but it was nice to meet you!"

"You too," Cameron replied with a contrived smile.

She sighed, now facing the room alone. _"How can I be lonely with so many people around?"_ she wondered.

She grabbed a glass of champagne and took a seat at a nearby table. She was almost happy to see House heading back in her direction.

"Lucky you, you avoided Cuddy's schmoozing rounds," he said as he sat beside her.

"That's the downside to being the head of your own department that needs funding," she said, not really sympathetic. She stared into her champagne glass.

"Something wrong?" House asked her.

"Why would I tell you?" Cameron said, trying to mask the resentment rising in her voice. "Any time I let my guard down even the slightest bit, you do your best to hurt me somehow."

She looked around, hoping no one was noticing their argument.

House was taken aback. "Cameron, I'm not trying to hurt you. It's not personal."

"Maybe it should be," she responded.

Dinner conversation was strained between them. Luckily Dr. Wilson and his current wife sat with them, and Cameron hoped that they hadn't noticed the tension between the two.

The ride home was deafeningly silent.

-

Cameron awoke the next day near noon when the doorbell rang. _"How long did I sleep?"_ she wondered. She had cried herself to sleep after House dropped her off.

She threw on a robe and headed towards the door. Upon opening it, she found a deliveryman with a floral arrangement. "I have a delivery for Allison Cameron," he stated.

"That's me," she responded, and took the flowers with a puzzled look. "Um, thank you," she said before closing the door.

She went to her dining table and set down the flowers to search for a card. When she found it, it had only two words. "I'm sorry."

Allison was conflicted. Was this some cheap effort to placate her into no longer hating him? Or was he really that sorry? _"House has never been this considerate,"_ she thought. She spent the rest of her Sunday with a strange feeling in her stomach that she just couldn't shake.

-

It had not disappeared by Monday morning when she arrived at the hospital.

On the surface she was all business, of course, but it was hard not to see that she was distracted. She made excuses to her co-workers. Her cat was sick (she didn't have a cat), she just heard from an old friend, whatever she could think of. She wasn't sure if they believed her, but it made them stop asking.

She waited until the evening to enter his office.

"Cameron," he greeted her, not looking up from his reading.

"House… what did you mean by those flowers?" she asked cautiously.

"Didn't you read the card?" he responded.

"Are you really sorry or are you trying to placate me?" she asked, agitated.

"Allison…" She froze as he called her by her first name a second time.

"I really am sorry." He looked up, and his eyes showed no sign of deceit.

"Why do you do that?" she asked. "You called me Allison. That's the second time."

"It made you listen the first time," he said matter-of-factly. He sighed and bit the bullet. "Wilson was right, the bastard. I have feelings for you."

Cameron took a step back.

House rolled his eyes. "I'm not going for an HIV sample this time."

"Can't blame me for not trusting you, House," Cameron said with a shrug. "Look, I had feelings for you once, and you ruined that for yourself. That time is long gone now." She looked sorrowful but resolute.

She stood. "I'm sorry, I just can't open myself up to you a second time."

House fell back into his chair, closed his eyes, and tried to imagine himself far away. He should have known better than to admit he had feelings.

-

Cameron breathed heavily as she ran. She needed a good run to clear her head. Of course she wasn't over House. Seeing him every day made that impossible for her. But she knew this was for the best. _"I can't give him the chance to hurt me this way again,"_ she thought to herself.

She slowed and came to a stop, checking her pulse. The run hadn't done much to relax her.

She headed home to shower. As the water ran over her she continued to think about House, finally allowing herself to feel things she hadn't in such a long time.

"_He really is handsome,"_ she thought. _"Even if he is so much older. And he's so intelligent too… and those eyes…"_ Cameron suddenly opened her eyes. _"Snap out of it, girl,"_ she thought to herself. _"Sure you could have him... for a while. Do you want that kind of pain? You can't trust him not to hurt you again."_ She sighed and finished rinsing her hair.

She stepped out into her bedroom. Often she cherished her solitude, but tonight it was overbearing.

-

Days passed and neither showed a sign of what had transpired between them. Cameron often wondered what House was thinking. House thought he knew Cameron's position on the matter.

He was perhaps more depressed than ever. The one person he had ever met who didn't hate anyone hated him. He had blown it with the kindest person on earth.

Wilson couldn't help but notice his friend's depression. "House, you need to stop moping over Cameron."

"I'm not moping over Cameron," House grumbled.

"You're not a very good liar."

House just looked at him, worn out and beaten down. The pain was evident in his eyes.

Wilson sighed. "You have to prove to her that you can be a real person, have feelings and open up to someone."

"I don't have feelings." House shook his head.

"Look, House, you've ruined your chances at love and happiness many times before. Stacy gave you a second chance, and you sent her away. Don't screw this one up," Wilson said, fully serious.

"I ruined my chance with her years ago," House responded dejectedly, now speaking about Cameron.

Wilson shook his head. "She's never gotten over you."

House looked skeptical. "She claims otherwise."

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Wilson said incredulously. "She's scared. Doesn't want to open up and get hurt. You've already hurt her badly."

"God, Wilson, you're such a woman," House replied sarcastically. "What do you suggest I do, then?"

"Tell her how you feel. Be considerate of her. If she doesn't cave yet, don't let go. But if you do hurt her… it's over." Wilson looked serious.

"Um…thanks," House replied, getting up. With a twinkle in his eye, he added, "Mrs. Wilson."

Wilson rolled his eyes. "Get out of here, you old ass!"

-

House showed up at Cameron's door unannounced. He tried not to show his fear as he pushed the doorbell. _"I must be crazy,"_ he thought. _"What am I getting myself into?"_ Before he could answer himself, the door opened just a crack. Cameron had the chain on.

"Go away," she said, mostly hidden by the door.

"No," he responded simply. "I'll wait all night if I have to."

Cameron sighed, exasperatedly and slammed the door shut.

House raised an eyebrow at that, but before he could sit down to wait, the door was opening again. She wasn't exactly welcoming him in, but it was a start. He entered the room.

She gestured towards a chair, seating herself on the adjacent sofa. "What do you want?" she asked. "I thought I asked you to leave me alone."

House could hear pain in her voice. This wasn't the usual polished Cameron. "I know," he said, his voice softer than she had heard before. "But I can't."

"Do you insist on making things difficult for me?" Cameron said, agitated.

"Allison, I have feelings for you." He held up a hand, motioning for her not to speak. "I can't help it. You're intelligent and beautiful, and the kindest person I've ever met. Now I know I'm just a grumpy old ass. But I love you, Allison Cameron, and I can't go on without telling you so."

He paused. "I can't bear the thought of you hating me, Cameron. I know you're not likely to ever love me. I ruined my chances at that. But please… give me the chance to show you that I can be a good person too."

Cameron's mouth hung open in shock. She was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to feel or what to say.

House was resisting running away. He couldn't believe he had just allowed himself to say all those things! It was pretty damn embarrassing. However, he remembered what Wilson said and stood his ground.

"I… don't know what to say," she finally responded.

She continued after a moment. "House… it's not that I don't want this. I just don't know if I can do it," she said with tears in her eyes.

"Just give me a chance," House asked of her. He smiled slightly, repeating words he said to her once before. "I won't crush you."

"One date," she said.

"Alright," House let himself out, leaving Cameron to ponder his words.

-

House rang the bell at Cameron's apartment with a corsage in hand. He remembered the last couple times he had done this, suddenly nervous.

Cameron opened the door, and looking at her, he felt better. He knew he wouldn't ruin it this time.

-


	4. The Early Entrance

Life as a House:

The Early Entrance

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: Cameron insists on working long and odd hours even until a late state of her pregnancy. Everyone at the hospital conspires to thwart her plans, forcing her to slow it down.

---

House wandered into Cameron's darkened office to catch her sleeping on her desk. "Morning, sunshine," he said cheerfully, walking over to open the blinds.

Cameron groaned as light flooded into the room. "What time is it?"

"Nearly nine-thirty. What time did you get here?" House responded, pulling up a chair beside his wife's.

She looked over at him sleepily. "I got here about five I think."

"You know you shouldn't be working these kinds of hours anymore, Allison," her husband said, rubbing a hand on her back.

"I'm on a case," she replied unconvincingly.

"You're a good doctor, but you're not indispensable. You need sleep more than you need to be on this case," he said, concerned.

She sat up and reassured him. "Greg, I'm fine. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't do my work."

"Maybe, but you shouldn't have to. Who in your department do I have to yell at?" House made a face.

Allison laughed. "You don't have to go scare my department. Now, go on. We both have work to do."

She raised herself awkwardly from the chair. She had gained little weight except in her belly, creating an awkward silhouette for the ever-graceful Cameron. Despite this, House found her as lovely as ever, perhaps more so. She had a glow about her, and he wasn't the only one who noticed.

-

Dr. Cuddy looked at Cameron with envious eyes. She had never experienced motherhood in that way, something she had always desired. _"I adore my daughter, but to bear your own children…"_ She sighed, eyeing the young doctor.

"Do you need something, Dr. Cuddy?" The young pregnant woman headed towards her, moving a bit slower than usual.

"You need to take it easy. Wilson mentioned to me that you were here at five this morning," Cuddy answered.

"I was working a case. They needed me," Cameron shrugged.

"Your team can handle this without you. I'm going to let them know that they're not allowed to call you outside work hours," Cuddy responded, protective of the young doctor, despite her jealousy.

"You don't need to do that," Dr. Cameron said, a bit agitated.

"I am anyway," Cuddy answered with a bit of a smile. "I don't want to be responsible for that baby coming early."

-

"Wilson!" Cameron was furious.

"What did House do?" Wilson responded, scared of the angry pregnant woman standing in his doorway.

"It's not what he did, it's what you did!" she shouted at him. "You told Cuddy that I was here at five."

Wilson was cowering behind his desk. "I was concerned!"

"It's none of your business what time I go to work!" she responded, still agitated.

"It isn't healthy for a woman at your state of pregnancy to be working these long hours," he countered. "Cameron, as your friend I'm telling you to give it a rest."

She shook her head, still angry. "I'm going to talk to Greg."

-

House and his team were hard at work when Cameron burst into the room.

"Wilson told Cuddy I was here at five and now she's monitoring the hours I work even though I'm fine…" She spoke quickly, her words nearly running together until she dissolved into tears, hormones getting the best of her.

"Keep on working," House said to his wide-eyed team, wrapping an arm around his wife to lead her into his office.

After closing the blinds, he sat down in his chair and pulled her into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he said, "It's okay Allison."

After a few minutes, her tears subsided. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I about screamed Wilson's head off, and now I'm crying all over you," she said sheepishly.

House responded, "Allison, you're pregnant. Your body is working very hard to create this new person, and you've got all kinds of crazy hormones going on. You're not supposed to be normal."

"I just don't feel like myself," she said, still a couple of tears on her cheeks.

"You have less than a month left. You'll be back to your old self in no time." House smiled at her. "Until then, you do need to relax. Your body is under a lot of stress right now."

She simply nodded before leaning onto her husband's shoulder. He held her, stroking her hair.

-

That night, House lay in bed watching his wife change into pajamas which consisted of shorts and one of his t-shirts.

"You're beautiful," he said, admiring her.

She smiled lovingly back at him. "And you're the handsomest doctor I know," she said before climbing in bed beside him.

He leaned over and kissed her, first on her lips, then her neck. "I want to make love to you," he whispered to her.

"Mmmm…" she sighed. "Better hurry then, we can't for six weeks after the baby comes," she added teasingly.

"Indeed," House responded, removing the shirt.

They began to make love, albeit awkwardly, due to her size. But the entire production was halted by a strange sound on Allison's part.

"Ohhh…" she moaned. Greg knew instantly that this moan was not from pleasure.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Am I hurting you?"

"I think it's…a contraction?" she said wonderingly.

"That damn baby knew this was my last chance to get some!" he joked.

"Greg, we need to go to the hospital!" Allison panicked. "I haven't packed an overnight bag… this is too early! I'm not ready."

"Well you can't tell the kid to wait," he responded, getting up.

"You stay there," he commanded. "I'll get everything ready."

Cameron, listening to someone for once, did as House said and stayed in bed.

-

House and Cameron arrived at the hospital.

"Get her out of here! She's not supposed to be working these hours. I told you that, House!" Dr. Cuddy yelled, seeing the two of them enter.

"She's in labor!" House responded urgently, moving as quickly as he could, cane in one hand, the other arm around his terrified wife.

"Oh my God!" Cuddy replied, eyes wide. "Why the hell aren't you at labor and delivery?" She ran to get a wheelchair for Cameron.

"I always park here!" House answered, helping Cameron lower herself into the chair.

"Well get going!" Cuddy yelled after them.

-

Cameron had many visitors during labor--it seemed everyone she knew at the hospital wanted to stop by.

"Can't they visit me when I'm not sweaty, half-dressed, and in pain?" she grumpily asked her husband. "No one at this hospital will take me seriously again," she mused.

"Yes they will, House reassured her. "Let them show up during a contraction. They'll be terrified of you forever," he joked gently.

Cameron tensed up suddenly before crying out in pain at the advent of her contraction.

Cuddy and Wilson stopped in the doorway.

"There, you won't have to worry about Cuddy or Wilson ever bothering you again," House said jokingly.

"What?" Cameron asked wonderingly before seeing the two frozen in the doorway. She groaned, embarrassed that they had seen her this way.

Wilson made a quick escape, but Cuddy came over to visit the young woman. She sat on the edge of the bed and smiled at Cameron. "I just finished talking to your doctor. He says you're doing great."

"Sure he says that. He's not the one in pain," Cameron responded irritably.

"Have they given you the epidural yet?" Cuddy asked.

House cringed at the question. "It didn't take. They're trying again in an hour or so," he responded quietly.

Cuddy shook her head. "You poor thing," she said to Cameron. "Are your parents coming?"

"Greg called them when we got here, but they had to fly in. They weren't expecting to need to be here so soon…" Cameron faltered.

House squeezed her hand.

Cuddy reassured her. "A premature baby is perfectly safe these days. Your little one will be fine."

Cameron suddenly squeezed her eyes shut.

House quickly reacted. "You better get going, Cuddy, unless you want a repeat performance."

"I'll check on you again later," Cuddy responded, heading out the door.

Cuddy could hear the cry form the hallway. _"At least I didn't have to suffer this to get my daughter,"_ she thought.

She had never expected the day to come when Cameron was giving birth to House's child. Of course, a few years back she would have never expected to be on good terms with Cameron again, after how she had treated her. She regretted how unkind she had been to Cameron when she had been in love with House herself. For her, being with him was a passing fantasy. Cameron had been in love with House for years. _"Despite my misgivings, they seem right for each other,"_ she thought.

-

Hours later, Cameron was still miserable. They had finally given her an epidural, but it had worn off. When she begged for another, they told her they couldn't; it was getting too close to time.

House and Cameron were alone in the room. The contractions were coming close together now, stopping them from really having conversation.

Cameron looked despondent. "I want my mom," she said simply.

"She'll be here soon," House replied, stroking his wife's hair.

"I don't know if I can do this," she said, looking up at her husband.

House leaned over, looking her in the eye. "Allison, you're the bravest woman I know. You married a dying man, moved 500 miles away from everything you'd ever known, and then dealt with me for all these years."

He squeezed her hand. "Allison, you can do this. And I'm right here with—"

He felt her tense suddenly, another contraction coming over her.

As she cried out, a nurse quietly slipped in. Once the pain subsided, she checked on the patient. "Completely dilated," she said with a smile. "I'll let the doctor know."

"What the hell is she so cheerful about?" Cameron growled as the nurse left.

Before House could choose a witty response, Cuddy poked her head in. "I heard it was almost time. I just wanted to say good luck."

"Thanks," House said sincerely, and Cameron simply nodded.

The doctor soon entered. "Ready to have a baby?" he asked the couple cheerfully.

Cameron glowered in his direction. "No, I just want to be in labor forever," her voice dripping sarcasm.

A couple of nurses came in behind him, readying the room for the imminent birth.

After another contraction, the doctor said, "Okay, Allison, next contraction you need to push."

It came quickly, barely giving her time to rest between contractions. "Push now, Allison," the doctor instructed her.

She hunched forward, crying out in pain while using all her strength. House had a steady hand on her back. "You can do it, Allison," he said to her as she pushed with all her might.

"The baby's crowning," the doctor called out.

With the next contraction she birthed the head.

"Just one more big push. You can do it," the doctor encouraged.

"I can't!" Allison cried, breathing heavily.

"One more push and we'll have our baby, Allison," House said to her reassuringly.

"Oh, Greg…" she began to respond tearfully. She was cut off by a contraction.

"Come on, you can do it!" The entire room was cheering her on. She screamed as the baby exited her body, subsiding in a collapse back onto the pillows. She heard a soft cry.

"It's a girl!" the doctor said jubilantly.

House looked at his wife lovingly. "You did it," he said smiling.

"Five pounds, six ounces," the nurse called out.

When the nurse handed the tiny babe to Allison, she was overwhelmed.

"She's ours, Greg," she whispered.

She handed him the child, and his eyes were filled with tears.

"I've never seen you cry, Greg," she said softly with a smile.

"Something in my eye," he said, his voice belying his words.

Greg held the child while the nurses got his wife cleaned up. Soon they were in the room alone, getting used to being a family of three. They hardly noticed when several people entered the room.

Cameron looked up first. "Mom!" she said joyfully. House looked over as she spoke. In addition to his wife's parents he saw his mother.

A look of shock crossed his face. Cameron's mom and step-dad had already rushed to her side to see the baby. House's mother stood awkwardly near the door. "Mom… he said falteringly. "How did you…" he trailed off.

"I called her," Cuddy said from the doorway where she now stood.

"I know we're not on the best terms, Gregory," his mother said. "But I want to be here for you and Allison."

There was an awkward silent pause.

"Okay, mom," he said simply. "Want to meet your new granddaughter?" He led her over.

-

Later that evening, Cuddy and Wilson came to visit again.

"_They're together far too much these days," _House thought absently. _"I need to investigate."_ He looked at his little girl. _"Later,"_ he thought.

"Come meet the newest House," he called to them.

The two approached the bed where Allison lay, cradling the child. She beamed up at them.

"She's perfect," Wilson proclaimed, making Cameron beam even more.

"May I hold her?" Cuddy asked gently.

"Of course," Cameron responded, lifting the baby gently up into Cuddy's arms. Cuddy teared up.

"Good going, Allison, now she's going to want another one," House joked.

"She's lovely and perfect," Cuddy said, ignoring House's teasing. There were still tears in her eyes. She handed the child back to Cameron.

"Does she have a name yet?" Wilson asked?

"After a long debate," House answered, "wherein I had to convince Allison that no, we can't just call her baby for the rest of her life…"

"Greg, stop!" Cameron laughed. "He's lying," she addressed Wilson and Cuddy.

"I never lie," he continued. "Anyways, we decided on Grace Elizabeth."

"That's a lovely name," Cuddy said.

"Well, House," Wilson said jokingly, "it seems you've managed to fill this hospital with more Houses!"

"Not yet," House joked back at him. "If you two get out of here, we'll get to work on the next one!"

"Greg!" Allison said, trying to sound angry, but having trouble hiding her laughter.

Cuddy laughed a bit too. "We'll leave you alone. But no canoodling in my hospital!" she said, moving towards the door.

"The Houses outnumber you," Greg called after her as she was leaving. "We can do whatever we want."

Cuddy gave him a look as she shut the door behind her.

House turned his attention to his wife and baby girl.

"I never thought this would happen for me," he said in wonderment.

Allison looked up at him puzzlingly.

"If someone had told me way back when I hired you..."

"Like a piece of art in the lobby?" Cameron interjected.

"You were qualified!" House defended himself. "But if anyone had told me that I would be married to you today and even a father, I would have sent them to the psych ward."

"Me too," she said, looking down at the new life they had created.

"I'm glad it happened," House said simply, watching his amazing wife and new daughter.

-


	5. About the Roof

Life as a House:

About The Roof

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: House and Cameron go on a date near the beginning of their relationship. House gets the guts to finally ask Cameron a question he's had on his mind for some time.

---

The first few dates had gone well. They had decided to avoid telling anyone at the hospital besides Wilson about the dates to avoid the awkwardness and questions it would cause. Besides, neither of them knew where this was going, and both were afraid to ask that question too soon.

They were at dinner now. House had lost count of the dates. Cameron hadn't. This was number seven.

She marveled at what a gentleman House had been. Still sarcastic, of course, and she wouldn't have it any other way. But he had refrained from kissing her until the third date, and he hadn't given any sign of pressuring her into sex.

She was relieved to postpone that deep closeness, though she desired it. She wasn't ready to fully surrender.

House had been wondering something. He wanted to ask, but was afraid it would ruin things between them. His curiosity overpowered him. "Cameron, I've been wondering something."

"Allison," she reminded with a smile. "I'm Cameron at work, but not here."

He smiled back. "Allison." He cleared his throat, now looking serious. "I've been wondering… that night on the roof… what were you crying about?"

He rushed to add, "You don't have to answer."

She sighed. "Chase tried to get back together with me."

"That's all?" he replied, mentally berating himself as soon as it left his mouth.

Her eyes flashed. "Having to break Chase's heart again isn't enough?"

"I'm sorry, Cam--Allison," he corrected quickly.

She raised an eyebrow, surprised to receive an apology. He must really want this date to go well. With that in mind, she continued. "He dragged me off into an empty exam room to talk. He said he still loved me and couldn't go on without me. He still has the ring…" she trailed off, not meeting House's eyes.

House simply waited quietly for her to continue, not trusting himself to say something.

"I probably would have agreed, against my better judgment, if he had chosen a different day," she reflected, still emotional. "I broke his heart."

House wondered if he dared to ask the question. "What day?" he asked simply.

"The anniversary of my husband's death," she replied, finally meeting his eyes with her brave gray-blue ones.

House reached across the table to squeeze her hand, comforting her despite the unnerving emotion she displayed.

-

After dropping her off at her door later that evening, House was thoughtful.

"_Did I really not notice Chase moping around the hospital?"_ he wondered to himself. _"What the hell is Cameron—"_ he corrected himself even in his head, _"Allison doing to me? I think I'm losing my mind."_

He wandered back to the car still in deep thought over the effect this young doctor had on him.

-

"_Ninth date,"_ Cameron thought as House picked her up on his bike. They were headed to another monster truck rally, and House refused to go there in a car when a bike was so much cooler.

Afterwards they stopped to get ice cream, neither ready to go home.

"You would choose the pink ice cream," House said in mock disgust.

"Yep," Cameron said unabashedly, taking a large lick from her cone.

After a few moments of silence, both enjoying their ice cream, Cameron spoke. "I've known you for years and still haven't got the slightest clue about you," she said.

"The mystery is part of my charm," House replied cheekily.

"What made you want to be a doctor?" she asked.

"My bastard of a father was a marine," House started. "We were stationed in Egypt, and I wanted to be an archaeologist. That's what got me started on puzzles."

"Then what?" Cameron asked, moving closer towards him, cocking her head to listen.

"Later on we were stationed in Japan. I saw a doctor solve a case no one else could. Everyone respected him. That's when I decided."

"Interesting," she replied, licking the side of the cone. After a pause she spoke again. "Don't you want to hear about me?"

"Eh," he joked.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "You're going to hear it anyway!" They both laughed.

"I made up my mind when Adam got sick," she said, suddenly serious. "I loved him before I knew he was sick, you know."

She sighed, remembering. "We had planned on marrying eventually, but we were running out of time. He died just before graduation. I dealt with it by applying to med school and moving 500 miles away," she said, her mind drifting back to remember.

"I hated feeling so helpless. I wanted to be on the saving side," she finished.

"Why immunology?" House finally asked.

"I like the idea of our bodies fighting to save us," she said with a slight smile.

House watched his girlfriend licking her ice cream cone and got an idea. He was going to lighten the mood a bit. "So… pretty skilled with that thing, aren't you?" he asked.

"What thing?" Cameron said, confused.

"Your tongue," House replied with a smug smile.

"Very," she said, playing along. She gave the ice cream a long, sensuous lick.

"So… my place or yours?"

-

Things at the hospital transpired as usual. House solved cases when he wasn't in the ER bothering Cameron (not that she minded), threw sarcastic comments at everyone, and occasionally got the private moments with her that he desired. They were careful to hide this from their colleagues.

Wilson, on the other hand, had known from the beginning.

"How are things going with House?" he asked Cameron one day when she had come into his office with a question.

"Really well, I think," she replied with a shy smile.

"I'm glad to hear that," Wilson sighed, taking a seat. "He's ruined so many of his chances before. I'm glad he's not taking this one for granted."

Cameron sat as well. "He's trying," she said with a slight smile.

"It sounds like he really cares about you," Wilson replied.

"Yeah," she said, her smile getting bigger.

"So, when are you going to tell everyone here?" he asked.

Cameron dropped her smile. "I don't know… We don't really know where this is going yet, and that's exactly what people are going to ask us. Maybe we'll tell them when we figure that out?"

"Or when you can't keep it a secret anymore," Wilson said with a smile.

"We're doing a pretty good job so far!" she defended laughingly. "Now you better not tell anyone!"

"I'm not! Your secret's safe with me, I promise."

"It better be!" Cameron pretended to be angry.

They both laughed as she exited his office.

-

Cameron had stopped counting the dates. After making love, the numbers didn't seem to matter so much anymore.

Her life was going well. She was able to move from the ER to the immunology department, which was a welcome change from the hectic days in emergency.

Sometimes late at night when most everyone had gone, they would make love in his office. Tonight was one of those nights. Cameron smiled as she followed the familiar path towards diagnostics. _"Yes, things are going well,"_ she thought.

-


	6. The New Addition

Life as a House:

The New Addition

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: Cameron is preparing to add a new addition to both her family and her work team. The new immunologist hates House, but is in love with Cameron, not knowing they are married. Madness ensues.

---

Cameron lifted her head from the toilet and groaned. The morning sickness had only just started a week ago. In fact, it was what had clued her in about this pregnancy.

"_I can't seem to shake this stomach bug," Allison said as she lay down beside her husband. "Maybe you're pregnant," Greg replied with a smirk. Allison smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Am not! You know I'm on the pill!" _

"_You're pregnant! You're pregnant!" House teased her mercilessly. "Am not!" Allison said giggling as she tackled him. They wrestled for a couple minutes, which led to kissing. _

"_Mmmmm…" Cameron sighed as House kissed all along her neck. "Would it be so bad if you were?" he whispered between kisses. Allison stopped him, pushing him back to look him in the eye. "You would be okay with that? I never pictured you as a man wanting children at all, and then I thought we were done after Gracie…"_

"_I wouldn't mind it," he replied with a smile. "Grace does happen to be the coolest kid in the universe. If this one's like her that would be okay." Allison looked surprised. "Well in that case, lets find out if you're right." She moved to get up, but Greg held her in place._

"_Tomorrow," he said with a seductive smile._

-

Back in the present, Dr. Cameron sighed._ "If only having babies was as fun as making them,"_ she thought.

She stood up and made herself presentable. As head of immunology, she couldn't seem disheveled. She stepped out of the restroom into her office, picked up a patient file, and headed out. Almost immediately she collided with a fair-haired man standing outside.

"I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, bending down to pick up the papers that had scattered from Allison's file.

As the stranger handed her the pages, he asked, "Would you happen to be Dr. Allison Cameron?"

"Yes, what do you need? Let's go into my office," she responded reaching back for the door.

"Ah, I knew it. They told me you were beautiful," he admired, taking the door from her as she passed through.

Dr. Cameron turned and cocked an eyebrow. "Also an excellent doctor, which is more important. Who are 'they'?"

"Oh, just some friends. Anyways, I was told that you were the person I should find. I'm Dr. Steve Iverson," he said, holding out a hand to shake before seating himself.

Dr. Cameron shook his hand before sitting behind her desk. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Iverson. What did Dr. Cuddy send you for?"

"It's my pleasure. She sent me so I could introduce myself to you, and you could familiarize me with the department. She told me that you would be my immediate supervisor."

"Of course!" Allison said, "I had been so busy I had completely forgotten that you were coming. Lets start with a tour of the facilities."

Cameron led him through the immunology department, introducing him to everyone and familiarizing him with the layout and equipment. Soon they were back in her office, discussing his duties.

"…and that's about it!" Cameron took off her glasses as she spoke. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Well, just one thing." The doctor's eyes flashed. "Perhaps you would like to come out with me for coffee sometime?"

"I'm afraid I can't," said Dr. Cameron with a sympathetic smile, as she stood, moving towards the door.

"Ah, another man has snatched up the lovely Dr. Cameron? What a tragedy," Steve Iverson said, standing as well. "In any case, it was a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Cameron. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other." He winked as he departed.

"_He's got a lot of nerve,"_ Allison thought, sitting back at her desk. She sighed, rubbing her temples and thinking of the work that had been put off to deal with the man. _"Now where was I?"_

-

Dr. Steven Iverson wandered the hospital alone, looking around and remembering. He thought he could still find his way to Diagnostics.

He turned a corner, and there he was, Dr. Gregory House. Not working, of course, that he expected. What he didn't expect was what he was doing instead of working.

From outside the window he watched the scene.

"What's that a picture of, Gracie?" House asked his four-year-old daughter.

She giggled. "You know, Daddy! That's you, that's Mommy, and that's me!" she said as she pointed.

"But you colored my hair wrong. You made it gray!" he complained at her, jokingly.

She giggled even more, climbing on him to grab a fistful. "It is gray, daddy!"

"Is it? When did that happen?" Greg animatedly pretended to be shocked, making his little girl laugh even more, her curls bouncing on her shoulders.

The laughter stopped when Grace saw the strange man in the doorway.

"Relegated to babysitting duty now, Dr. House?" Iverson said as he looked over the aging doctor and the little girl with bright blue eyes.

"Yes, actually. Because I'm just so kind and cuddly," House said, quickly hiding back behind a mask of sarcasm. "The real question is, what are you doing here?" Grace stood behind him, unsure if she trusted this new person.

"I've been hired as an addition to the Immunology department. Apparently someone here thinks my talents are worthy of this hospital," Iverson said haughtily.

"Another one of Cuddy's great hires, I'm sure," House responded, giving Iverson an infuriating look.

"Yes, precisely, he responded, ignoring the insult. "But I've been wondering how you've managed to keep your job here. You haven't lost your license yet?"

"No number of lawsuits could get rid of me." Grace whimpered a bit, feeling the tension in the room. "Oh, I can't believe I've forgotten my manners," House said, getting an idea. "Steve Iverson, please meet Grace House." Greg gestured to his daughter, now hanging onto his good leg.

Dr. Iverson looked shocked. "This is a joke, I'm sure. No one could have had a child with a person like you."

"Why don't you go tell her mother that?" House smirked.

"I… have work to do," Iverson stammered, still in shock as he ran off.

-

House headed over to his wife's office after dropping off Gracie at the hospital's day care. He grabbed some sandwiches from the cafeteria on the way.

He let himself into her office, which was empty. However, he could see a light on in her private restroom, so he waited. Soon a composed but drained looking Dr. Cameron entered the room.

"Oh, thank goodness it's you," she sighed, lowering herself into her seat.

"I brought lunch," Greg stated, and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Bad day?"

"You have no idea," she breathed.

"Take care of yourself, Allison. I don't want us announcing this pregnancy with you needing an IV again."

"I know, I know," she said with a weak smile. "Lets see if I can eat."

-

The next morning, House headed to Cameron's office, Gameboy in hand. _"Maybe Cuddy won't find me in here,"_ he thought.

He opened the door to see Cameron and Iverson discussing something over her desk. Ignoring the pair, he lay down across the sofa and began playing.

Iverson stared in disbelief. "Are you going to do something about this?" he asked Dr. Cameron.

"What do you mean?" she replied.

"He walks into your office, plops down on your couch and plays Gameboy during our meeting? The man has no respect." Iverson glowered.

"He's not bothering me," Cameron stated simply, not wanting to go into detail. "Can we get on with this?"

"Look, if you don't want to deal with it, I will," Iverson said, staring down Dr. House.

"Yes, you would just love to be her hero, wouldn't you?" House said without looking up from his game.

"Just let him be," Cameron sighed. "He's not disturbing us."

"Don't speak for me," Iverson muttered.

-

Later on in the day, Iverson entered Cameron's office again.

Sitting down, he asked, "Is there nothing to be done about Dr. House?"

"I don't see the problem," Cameron replied, shuffling papers before looking him in the eye.

"Maybe you have a better relationship with him than I did. He fired me," Iverson confided.

"Why did he fire you?" Allison asked with a quizzically raised brow.

"He didn't think I deserved the position because he didn't hire me himself."

"I'm sure there was more to it than that," Cameron said, going back to organizing her desk.

"Well, he thought that my father's contribution to the hospital was part of the reason Cuddy hired me. I assured him that I was hired due to my skill, but he never believed me," Iverson said, with clear resentment in his voice. "You were my replacement," he added.

"That would certainly explain it," Dr. Cameron said, stopping her work and looking at him. He wasn't a bad looking man, but he certainly was no Greg. "I'm amazed you don't resent me as well."

"Oh no, you are far too beautiful," he grinned.

"Well, I must be getting back to work," Allison said, looking away, busying herself. "And don't you have work to do as well?"

"Right. Thank you, Dr. Cameron, for our talk." Dr. Iverson showed himself out.

Allison sighed. _"There's only so much more of him I can take," _she thought.

-

After work, she and Greg took Gracie for a walk in the park. As Grace ran ahead, Allison told him about her encounter.

"Damn it, Allison, can't you get men to stop throwing themselves at you? You're a married woman for God's sake!" Greg pretended to be angry.

Allison laughed. "Apparently I'm just that irresistible."

"Pregnant too! How inappropriate is that?" he said, only half joking.

"Oh, no one except Cuddy knows about that yet! At least not until my appointment tomorrow," Allison mused. The rumor mill would have fun with that one.

"Well, I'll make him think twice about hitting on my wife," House growled.

"Greg, what are you going to do?" Allison asked, in the voice he knew meant business.

"Nothing you wouldn't approve of, darling," he said in an attempt to sound innocent.

"Gregory House, what will I ever do with you?" she laughed.

"I think I know a couple things," Greg said with a lascivious grin.

-

Cameron was getting awfully tired of this. Iverson was spending more time in her office than working.

Today, however, she didn't have time for his questions and complaints.

"I'll have to meet with you later, Dr. Iverson, I have an appointment just now," Cameron stated, attempting to hide her relief.

"When will you be back, Dr. Cameron?" he asked.

Cameron didn't get the chance to reply, cut off by a toddler bounding into the room.

"Mommy!" Gracie exclaimed happily, running up to hug her legs. "Hi, sweetie," Allison replied, reaching down to stroke her hair.

Iverson stood there, his jaw dropped, while House followed his daughter into the room.

"You…" Iverson said, looking at Cameron, "had a child with… him?" He looked at House, who had a smug smile on his face. "How is this possible?"

"Am I not allowed to have a child with my own wife?" House asked sarcastically.

"Wife…?" Iverson was at a loss of words.

At this moment, Allison moved to pick up her daughter. House had a spark in his eye. "Oh honey," House said, "you shouldn't be lifting her in _your_ condition! Hand her here." He reached out to take his daughter from her.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Greg, but you may as well take her because I do have to go," she said, passing the child over and glancing at her watch.

"Oh, right," House said, his tone contrived. "You have that OB-GYN appointment for the baby today. Better not miss that!"

Allison leaned over and kissed her daughter on the head before reaching for the door. "You understand that we'll have to speak later," she said, finally addressing Iverson.

He looked pale. "Yes… later. Excuse me," he said, rushing past her out the door.

"Greg…" Allison said with a laugh. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you." She headed out the door, leaving Greg and Grace there to enjoy the afternoon together.

-


	7. Results of a Reunion

Life as a House: Chapter 9

Results of a Reunion

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: Cameron, heavily pregnant with their second child drags House to her high school reunion. After a dramatic scene, she is placed on bed rest and under constant watch for the remainder of her pregnancy, which drives the normally active and independent doctor crazy.

---

House sighed, tie in hand. "Can I get a hand here?" he asks.

His wife comes up behind him. "I seem to remember you wearing ties before we were married," she teased gently.

"You didn't know how long it took to put the damn thing on!" he responded, venting his anger towards the tie.

Allison laughed as she tied it for him. "Here you go."

He collapsed onto the bed. "Do we have to go?"

"We flew 500 miles to get here, we may as well do what we came for," she responded, sitting beside him.

"We came to visit your mom and step-dad, if I recall," Greg contrived.

"And picked this week to do so for just this reason," Cameron countered. "You're stuck going."

"Anyways, don't you need to be there to mark your territory? Old high school boyfriends and all that," Cameron said with a teasing smile.

House snorted. "Not much need for that at the moment. I think I've got you pretty well claimed," he said, reaching out a hand to touch her burgeoning belly.

She sighed. "Well, it was worth a shot."

Cameron stood up to view herself in the mirror. She was wearing a black wrap dress and the diamond necklace Greg had given her for her birthday. She had exchanged her heels for flats at this state of pregnancy. She smoothed the black fabric over her expanded midsection. "How do I look?" she asked her husband.

"Beautiful," he said simply. Pregnancy suited her, her usually toned body filling out into soft curves.

They were both startled by the little girl running into the guest bedroom. "Mommy looks pretty!" Gracie stated, looking up at her.

"No compliments for Daddy?" House sat up, holding his arms out for her as she ran to him.

"What's this?" she asked, lifting up his tie.

Allison laughed. "See, Greg, you need to dress up more. Your daughter doesn't know what a tie is!"

Greg rolled his eyes. "Grace, this is called a tie. It's a torture device that daddies have to wear when they dress up."

"Oh," Grace said, looking puzzled. "Mommy, what's a torture device?"

"See what you've done?" Cameron laughed before answering the girl. "Daddy is just making a joke. A tie is just something that goes with Daddy's outfit when he dresses up, just like I have my necklace or purse."

"Except a little less ladylike," House interjected.

Allison focused her attention on the child. "Mommy and Daddy have to go to a grown up party tonight, so Grandma and Grandpa are going to put you to bed, okay?"

"But what about my party?" Gracie asked.

"Next week, after we go back home, you'll have your party," Allison said, smiling down at her daughter.

"And then I'll be five!" she shouted jubilantly.

Her parents laughed, enjoying their daughter's silliness.

The couple headed downstairs with Grace running ahead. Allison greeted her mother at the bottom of the stairs. "We won't be back until late, mom," she said.

"Okay, but please take it easy. Take good care of my grandbaby!" Allison's mom said with a nod at her stomach.

"I promise I'll take care of myself," Cameron responded.

"I'll be looking after her," House added.

"Grace, it's time to say goodbye. You won't see your parents until tomorrow morning," the girl's grandmother called to her.

She ran up and hugged House. "Bye-bye Daddy!" She then hugged her mother. "Bye-bye Mommy!"

"I have to say goodbye to baby too," she added. "Bye-bye baby!" she said, directed at Allison's stomach.

"We love you, Gracie. See you in the morning," Cameron said, kissing the girl on her forehead.

-

Cameron entered the room on her husband's arm.

She was a bit overwhelmed at first; she hadn't attended the last high school reunion, but it was only moments before an old friend ran up to her.

"Allie! Oh my goodness, how have you been?"

Greg prepared himself for a very long night.

"Hi, I'm Renee Zaiger," the woman introduced herself to House. "I was a cheerleader with Allison!"

More women ran over, expressing surprise and greetings.

House needed an escape. "I'm going to go grab a drink while you ladies catch up," he said, limping off.

"So update me! You're married and pregnant!" Renee gleefully shouted. The other women looked just as eager to hear the story.

Allison laughed. "Well I don't know if you remember I went to med school. Greg and I both work at a hospital in New Jersey. We've been married nearly six years, and have a daughter, Grace who is turning five this month. And this little guy is due in about six weeks," she said, gesturing to her stomach.

"That's so great," Renee gushed. The others followed in agreement.

"What about you guys?" Cameron asked.

-

House and Cameron had a couple of moments to themselves while being seated for dinner.

"You don't seem like the cheerleading type," House mused.

Cameron blushed, but didn't have time to respond as their conversation was interrupted.

"Allison!" the woman called out, approaching the table.

"Laine? Oh, it's been too long." Cameron got up to greet her friend.

"Whoa!" Laine said, getting a look at Allison's belly as she stood. "Who knocked you up?"

"My husband!" She laughed, gesturing towards him before hugging her friend. "You've got to sit with us at dinner."

After they were all seated, Cameron introduced them. "Laine, this is my husband, Dr. Gregory House. Greg, I've been close with Laine since middle school. She was maid of honor at my first wedding."

"Nice to meet you," House said.

"You too," Laine responded, before directing her attention back at Cameron. "I didn't get the email that you were coming!"

"Well we really didn't decide until last minute and I just didn't have time to write…"

-

"I need to hear more about this cheerleader thing," House said, after their companions had left the table.

"I was very active in high school," Cameron responded with a sheepish smile. "I was on student council, cheerleading, choir for a couple years, French club…" she trailed off. "You knew I did tons of activities as a kid, why should high school be any different?"

"French club?" House said with surprise. "Voulez vous coucher avec moi?"

"Oui, Monsieur," she responded with a giggle. "Hey, I'm going to run to the restroom really quick."

"Have fun," he said as she got up. She shook her head, laughing.

House looked around. There were people dancing and mingling. He couldn't dance anymore with his bum leg, not that he did much before. _"I wonder if Allison misses dancing?"_ he thought to himself.

He looked over to see Allison moving slowly across the room. As he watched her, he thought there was something strange about her movement. He leaned forward to watch more closely. She wasn't walking in a straight line. House reached for his cane.

Allison fell to the ground.

Panic broke out suddenly, and House stood, moving as quickly as she could to his wife's side. "Stand back," he called out to the people crowded around her. "And call an ambulance," he added, leaning down to check on her.

-

Cameron awoke at the local hospital. "Where am I?" she said, scared.

"At the hospital," House responded from beside her. "You passed out at the reunion."

"The baby's fine," he added before she could ask.

"At the reunion… did everyone see?"

"Half your high school class is in the waiting room," House replied with annoyance.

Cameron closed her eyes. "Oh God, how embarrassing. What's wrong with me?"

"They're not sure, Allison," House said, wishing he could reassure her. "I'm going to go tell your devoted following that you're awake," he said, standing.

"Greg?" she said as he was leaving.

"Yes?" He turned to look at her.

"No more babies," Cameron said with a slight smile. "Pregnancy just isn't working for me."

House laughed a bit as he left the room.

-

Morning came, and Grace ran into the room where her parents were staying. She ran to the bed, but they weren't there.

"Mommy?" she called out, looking for them. She looked under the bed, in the bathroom, and behind the clothes in the closet. She headed downstairs.

Her grandparents were having coffee at the kitchen table. "Where's Mommy and Daddy?"

The grandparents exchanged a look. "Mommy and Daddy are at the hospital."

"Oh," the child said complacently. "Mommy and Daddy work at the hospital," she told her grandparents as if she were informing them of something important.

Grandma looked sympathetic and pulled Gracie onto her lap. "Today they're at the hospital because Mommy got a little bit sick."

"Oh…" the child said. "I miss Mommy."

"We'll go visit her later, sweetie," her grandmother said with a hug.

-

Allison's doctor entered the room.

"Mrs. House," he began. The couple didn't bother to correct him.

"We have not discovered the cause of the fall, but you are stable now. We would like to send you back to your attending physician. It's possible that you are going to be put on bed rest."

Both House and Cameron looked unhappy at that idea.

"Is it safe for me to fly home?" she asked, concerned.

"At this point you should be fine, but we suggest that you use a wheelchair as your primary mode of transportation until you are back in the care of your primary physician."

Cameron nodded weakly.

"Mr. House, if you'll come with me, I need you to sign some forms before we release your wife to fly home."

House gave his wife a kiss and followed the man out. "It's actually Dr. House…"

Only moments after they had exited, Cameron's mom and step-dad entered the room, holding Gracie's hands.

"Mommy!" she cried joyfully, running towards the bed. "Is it time for my baby yet?"

Allison laughed. Her little girl always cheered her up. "Not until after your birthday, sweetheart."

"How are you feeling, Allison?" her parents came closer as Grace climbed up on the bed, cuddling up next to her mother.

"Alright, just tired. They want to send me home."

"You fly like this? That's ridiculous!" her stepfather raged, protective of her as he would be of a biological daughter.

"Dad, I'll be fine. The most that's going to happen to me is that I'll be put on bed rest. It's not like I'll be walking around the plane," she reassured him.

House came back in. "We have a flight for this afternoon," he directed to his wife.

"I'm sorry to cut the visit a bit short," he said to his in-laws. "They want her in the care of her own doctor."

"We understand," Allison's mother said, patting House on the arm. "You look after her!" she instructed.

"I'll do my best," House assured her.

"Hi Daddy," Grace said, sitting up from her spot beside Cameron.

"Hey Gracie," he said, lifting her up into his arms. "We need to go back to Grandma and Grandpa's house to pack."

"Do we get to go on an airplane?" Grace asked him excitedly.

"Yes, ma'am," he responded with a smile.

"Yay!" she cheered. House sat her down to give his wife a kiss. "We'll be back after everything's packed up."

"Okay, Greg. Love you," she replied with a smile.

"Love you too," he answered back.

The family left Cameron to entertain herself while she waited.

-

When they arrived back in New Jersey, House insisted on delivering Cameron straight to the hospital despite her protests.

"I'm fine," she said, as he pushed her slowly in the wheelchair.

"That's not for you to determine," House responded unrelentingly.

Grace ran ahead of them, nearly bowling over Dr. Cuddy as she entered the hospital. "Hi Becca's mommy!" she called up to Cuddy cheerfully.

"Gracie! Look where' you're going," Cameron scolded.

"I'm sorry, Becca's mommy," she said contritely.

Dr. Cuddy hugged the girl. "It's okay, hon."

Cuddy headed towards the slow moving couple. "House, you shouldn't be pushing her," Cuddy said, taking the wheelchair from him.

House grabbed his cane that had been hanging from the handle. "I was doing fine," he grumped.

"Cameron, I spoke to the doctor at the other hospital and I've let your doctor know what's going on. We've got a room for you at the moment, and he's going to see you as soon as possible," Cuddy said, pushing the wheelchair towards the elevator.

"I'm really fine," Cameron protested.

"We're not taking any chances," Cuddy said sternly.

-

Cuddy entered Cameron's room a while after the doctor had left. "I'm going to be overseeing your case while you're here," she said.

"While I'm here?" Cameron raised her eyebrows.

Cuddy sighed. "We can't find the reason for your collapse. At least until we do, we need to monitor you, and you need to stay in bed."

Cameron fell back onto the pillows. "What about work?"

"The hospital can run without you, contrary to popular belief," Cuddy said with a smile, sitting on the edge of Allison's bed. "And if your team needs a consult, they'll know where to find you."

"What about Grace's birthday party?" Cameron asked, even more agitated.

"House isn't useless! And I can help you out too. My girls will be there anyway," Cuddy reassured her.

"Thanks, Lisa," Cameron said, reverting to first name basis. She then sighed. "Gracie is going to be so upset when I tell her I can't be there."

"I can probably arrange for you to be out for a couple of hours in a chair on that day." Cuddy smiled at her. "Don't worry! Things are going to be fine."

-

"Dr. House," Cuddy called down the corridor.

House turned around. "What are you going to ruin my day with this time?" he said sarcastically towards her.

She ignored the barb. "We need you on Cameron's case."

"Work on my own wife? Are you crazy?" He turned away, continuing down the hall.

"No one can figure out the cause of her collapse. You're the best diagnostician around. We need you," Cuddy continued, chasing him.

House stopped suddenly, facing her. "She's stable."

"And she sleeps nearly 16 hours a day. We've been monitoring her," Cuddy countered.

"Pregnancy causes fatigue," House replied, continuing his walk.

"Are you saying you don't care about your own wife?" Cuddy said incredulously.

"No…" House responded, not looking her in the eye. "I care too much."

He sighed. "I'll take the case."

"_I can't believe I'm doing this,"_ House thought, entering the room where his team was seated.

He took a breath before starting. "Female, late thirties, pregnant, third trimester. Collapsed suddenly with no apparent cause, now showing signs of extreme fatigue."

He turned to face his team. "Differential diagnosis?"

-

Cameron spent day after day in bed. Grace spent a couple of hours each day in her mother's room coloring pictures or watching TV with her mom. House spent as much time there as possible too. This time no one chastised him for avoiding the patient.

The fatigue was getting a bit worse every day, and treatments did nothing. House was working round the clock to figure this out.

Soon came the day for their daughter's birthday.

"You need to just get some rest until the party," Cuddy said to Cameron.

"It's not like I have much else to do," she said with a slight smile.

"Well, don't expend your energy. I have the party arrangements taken care of. You just need to enjoy it this afternoon," Cuddy said, smiling as she headed out.

-

"Happy birthday to you,

happy birthday to you,

happy birthday dear Grace,

happy birthday to you!"

The group cheered as Grace, sitting on her father's lap, blew the candles out.

After the cake was cut and the presents were open, the children all ran to play around the park where the party was held.

Cameron wheeled herself over to Cuddy. "Lisa, thank you so much. This party couldn't have happened without your help."

"Well I couldn't let you stress yourself out over it! Besides, it was no problem at all," Cuddy responded, a four year old wrapped around her leg.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate it," Cameron added.

"It was my pleasure," Cuddy said. She turned her attention to the child attached to her. "Becca, don't you want to go play with your friends?"

Cameron wheeled herself over to her husband, who was keeping an eye on the children playing. "How's it going?"

He sighed. "It's going."

"Greg, don't kill yourself over this. I'm not going to die because of a little fatigue."

"You're my wife. I can't help but be concerned," he said, his blue eyes meeting hers.

"I'm going to be fine," she said pragmatically. "Though I am a bit tired," she added.

"Then let's get you back to the hospital," House responded, grabbing the handles of her wheelchair.

"Oh, no, you stay with Grace. Someone else can take me," she replied.

"Okay, Allison. Love you."

"Love you too."

-

A week passed before a breakthrough was reached.

"Allison…" She heard the voice calling her. "Allison!"

"Hmm?" she responded groggily, blinking her eyes to focus.

It was House, with a couple of nurses behind him. "We need to get this baby out of you today."

"What? No! He's premature!" she yelled weakly.

"Allison, this is important. This is in your best interest, and the baby's," he said gently.

The nurses began to wheel her out of the room as House walked along beside her.

"Are you inducing me?" she asked her husband.

"You're too weak for labor. We're doing a c-section."

"C-section?" Allison asked, scared.

"Don't worry. You're in good hands."

-

House sat beside Cameron holding her hand throughout the procedure.

When they had completed the surgery they lifted up the child for Cameron to see. "Do you see him?" the asked.

With her nod, they took the child away.

"Where are they taking him?" Cameron asked frantically.

"All c-section babies go to ICU," House responded, caressing her hand.

-

Cameron slept for hours after the surgery.

A couple of people popped in to check on her. House didn't let them stay long, for fear of waking her. This was a time that he wanted her to sleep.

When they brought the baby back, Cameron was still sleeping. House had never left her side. He took the tiny child from the nurse.

"_Perfect,"_ he thought. He ran a finger across the bridge of the miniature nose, across the tiny cupid lips. The child opened his eyes, revealing deep blue irises. It was time to wake his wife.

"Allison," he whispered, stroking her hair. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened. The look on her face when she was her son was pure joy.

"My baby," she whispered, taking the boy from her husband's arms. A tear ran down her cheek.

"Go get Gracie," she instructed.

-

Grace went up to her mother shyly. "Is that my baby?" she asked.

Allison laughed gently. "Yes, sweetie." She held the baby out for Grace to see.

"Can I hold him?" The parents exchanged a look.

"Why don't you sit down, and Daddy can put him on your lap," Cameron instructed.

It was about the sweetest thing she had ever seen.

-

"Named this one yet?" Wilson asked, after a few days had passed. Cameron was still stuck at the hospital, but quickly returning to her former self. House, temporarily without a case, rarely left her side.

"We can't decide. Nothing seems right for him," Allison said, looking lovingly at the child in her arms.

"Well, I have to say, James is a fantastic name," Wilson joked.

"You would say that," House said with a snort.

"Actually, it does kind of suit him," Cameron mused.

"If you name him that, Lisa will be so jealous!" Wilson laughed. "You'll have to have another kid to name it after her."

"Are you kidding me?" Cameron laughed. "No way. I'm on strict orders not to get pregnant again."

"Whose orders?"

"My own." Cameron laughed. "Come on, have you seen anyone have worse luck with pregnancy? I think this having babies thing isn't working out for me."

"Wouldn't want to risk your health again anyways," House said.

"You both have a good point there. But seriously though, James," Wilson said with a smile before leaving.

"He's so a James," Allison said after he left.

"But I don't want to name my kid after Wilson!" House whined. "Then he'll think we're friends or something."

"You are friends, Greg," Cameron laughed. She redirected her attention to the baby. "Do you like the name James?" she asked him, tickling his tummy with a finger. He cooed at her.

"See? He likes the name," she said triumphantly to her husband. "You want to be called James, yes you do!" She smiled at her baby.

"Fine, but I'm telling Cuddy that it was your idea!"

Cameron just smiled. "James Gregory House," she said simply.

-


	8. A Lonely Parting

Life as a House:

Lonely Parting

A/N: This chapter is horrifyingly depressing, so I would encourage you to skip it if this is not the kind of thing you want to read.

WARNING: Major character death!

-

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: This is only the second time Cameron has euthanized someone, and she never imagined it could be harder than the first.

---

Allison Cameron lay in a bed at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

She looked to her left to see her husband lying next to her. She viewed the tubes and wires connecting him to machines and IVs with stinging eyes. His sleeping form looked peaceful, and she tried to take comfort in that for the time being.

A young doctor entered.

"Mrs. House? Oh—I'm sorry, I mean, Dr. Cameron?" the doctor stumbled over his words. "May I have a word with you?"

She silently raised herself out of the bed and followed him outside the doors of the patient room.

Despite Cameron's careful movements, House awoke. He watched them speak on the other side of the glass wall. As the doctor spoke, Allison's shoulders seemed to slump more and more. She looked as if the life had been sucked out of her body.

A couple minutes later, Allison re-entered the room with lifeless eyes. She didn't say a word, just crawled in beside him. He had already guessed the diagnosis; looks like he was right.

-

The pair was silent. Cameron had not left House's side all day, even attempting to forgo lunch. Wilson unobtrusively brought her a sandwich, not wanting to disturb the couple's time alone. The sandwich sat unceremoniously uneaten on the table beside the bed. It had been at least a week since she had eaten more than a couple bites of anything. She was wasting away, and knew it, but she couldn't eat.

She looked up to see her two adult children enter the room. She stood to wrap them both in a wordless hug. The children had inherited their father's height; they engulfed their tiny mother.

"Hey Dad," James said, speaking for them both. Fear and worry were etched on both their faces.

"Hey losers, what are you doing hanging around a hospital?" House said, failing to be convincing in his sarcasm.

Grace, out of love for her father, played along. "Oh, you know, just flirting with some male nurses." The mirth in her voice never reached her eyes.

The three of them chatted awkwardly for a bit, as they had for several days now, Cameron silently held his hand the whole time. Watching their normally strong, sarcastic father reduced to an old man in a hospital bed was painful for them all.

Eventually they made their retreat, and House and Cameron reclaimed the silence that had surrounded them the rest of the day. House dozed on and off, but Cameron simply sat silently, watching.

It was House who broke the silence, when it was late and the hallways were clearing. "Allison…" he trailed off.

"What is it, Greg?" She leaned over him, concerned.

He got a good look at his wife. Dark circles under her eyes, lines of worry in her face, and a sickly, gaunt frame. Somehow she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

"Remember when you worked for me?" he asked her.

She nodded vigorously. Where was he going with this?

"Remember when I comforted you in the chapel…" he trailed off again, as if he didn't know what to say.

She closed her eyes briefly, calling the scene to mind. It was still vivid in her memory. Her eyes flew open, realizing the significance of what he had brought to her attention.

"No!" she shouted wildly in fear. "You'll get better, you'll get better…" she sobbed at him before dropping her head onto the bed next to him.

He wrapped a comforting arm around her, tugging her closer to him. "Allison, please," he whispered.

"No, I won't do it," she cried. "I can't lose you."

He held her as tight as he could, but he didn't have much strength. "You and I both know what this diagnosis means. Chances of recovery are nonexistent."

He was calm and logical about it, holding it together for his wife. She sobbed against his shoulder.

"Allison, look at me!" he commanded. She obeyed. "I can't go this way," he said simply. "Please, give me my dignity," he begged her.

She was silent now, tears running down her cheeks. "Greg…" she paused, unable to believe the words coming from her own mouth. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

He nodded, sending a sob to her throat. They lay together silently, both thinking about what had been said between them. Neither slept.

Eventually, before morning came, he broke the silence again. "It's time."

"Please, don't do this to me, Greg," she begged him tearfully.

"Be strong, Allison," he said. There were tears in his eyes now too.

Her shaking hands found the morphine in a drawer. He was already on a morphine drip. This small injection would push him over the edge.

She approached him slowly, as if in a dream. This couldn't be real. She prepared the injection site. Once ready, she paused, looking at her husband. She tried to memorize the lines of his face, knowing she would begin to forget them the moment she left the room.

He gave her a small nod, and she responded with one of her own, her eyes now releasing a flow of tears. She gave the injection with a sob.

House pulled her close to him with the last of his strength. He kissed her deeply, with urgency. He held her face in his hands, inches from his own face, her tears mixing with his own. He looked her straight in the eye, fully open to her, perhaps for the first time in their lives. "I love you, Allison," he said with conviction. "Now, go!"

She knew he was right; she had to leave the room now. She moved quickly, but paused at the door.

"I love you too, Greg," was the last words he heard from her lips.

-

She was at the coast.

A tiny figure wrapped in black on a lonely beach in January. Her thoughts were screaming and silent all at once. Words were flying around in her head, but there were only two she could make sense of.

He's gone.

She let loose a wild cry. This was nothing like the romantic weeping in the movies. This sound was unearthly, primal, terrifying. The only thing that could match the grief in her heart.

She crumbled in the sand. The pressure in her chest was pushing outward, the weight of the world pressing down on her. They were crushing her.

-

Cameron walked slowly towards the door of her home. She stopped on the porch, breathless.

She knew she must be a sight for any nosy neighbors. The tiny, middle-aged woman in days old clothing, wild half, wrapped in a black blanket. Salt and sand.

She was still stopped on the porch. She put a hand on the door, fumbling for a key. She pushed the key into the lock, turning it with shaking hands.

The door opened, and her eyes fell upon the grand piano now silent. There was no music for grief like this.

She slumped against the door. She couldn't do it. She couldn't enter the home she had made with Greg now that Greg was gone.

The cry from the beach was caught in her throat. Not here. She crumbled against the door, falling in a heap at its base.

-

Wilson had taken her in. He and Cuddy had been wonderful to her, but she could not express gratitude. She knew what they were doing, but was unable to appreciate it. Nothing mattered now that Greg was gone, anyways.

A week passed. The funeral.

It was a blur of dark shapes appearing in front of her to give their condolences.

Everyone thought he had done this to himself, ended it before he lost control. It was a very House thing to do. No one had ever suspected that she was the one who had essentially pulled the trigger. That fact alone was tearing her apart.

Her family was there. Brothers and sisters trying to take care of her, make her eat, sleep, cry…. They brought her to her own home now, filled with flowers from mourners. Suffocating. Drowning.

She wanted to be there for the children. She couldn't; she was a ghost in her own skin. Nothing could reach her. Nothing could touch the death of a soul mate.

-

A month passed. She went back to work. She walked through the halls as if she were in a trance.

Cuddy called her into her office not long after her return. She didn't know how much time had passed. She wasn't counting.

Wilson was there too. The fog lifted enough to allow her to wonder what was going on.

They stood there and asked her to take his place. They kept talking. About how they had lost several patients since he had gone. About how none of his fellows could do his job. About how maybe she understood how his brain worked after knowing him so intimately for so long. About how she was their only hope for the department running as it once did.

They waited nervously for a response. For her to accept, to cry, to run from the room screaming. She just stared at them with dead eyes.

-

Cuddy had tried to keep her from coming to work. Said she wasn't well.

"_Of course I'm not well!" _she wanted to scream. _"How can anyone be well again?"_

But they were. Her children were going to be okay. Wilson and Cuddy were okay. It was only Allison that couldn't be.

She wanted to scream and cry. How could they return to normal life when nothing would be normal again?

They didn't ask about the department again.

-

She had been working through a daze for months. Wilson and Cuddy were concerned. Shouldn't she be okay by now?

She ignored them, in her own cocoon of pain and grief. Only after a year was she ready to peel away the layers and emerge.

It started on a quiet Sunday morning. She woke up, got her coffee, and sat on the porch, enjoying the sun warming her face. Enjoying.

She felt guilty at first for enjoying anything. How dare she be happy when Greg was gone?

But when it happened more and more often, she knew; she was healing.

-


	9. Scares and Surprises

Life as a House:

Scares and Surprises

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: Cameron fears she is pregnant just as she is about to take a big promotion. House doesn't take Cameron's news too well.

---

Cameron popped into House's office. "I've got to go to the store today, need anything?"

"Why do you need to go to the store?" he asked, never leaving anything unquestioned.

"It's nothing important," she reassured him. "What do you need from there?"

"Orange juice, since you drank all of mine," House responded with a grumpy face.

"We live together, Greg. And anyways, I bought it!"

"It's still my orange juice," House mumbled.

Cameron just rolled her eyes. "Sure thing. See you tonight."

"Oh," she said turning back, "I almost forgot. Tomorrow night is the retirement party for my boss, and I need to be there."

"Fine, leave me at home alone," House grumbled.

"I have to be there, remember?" she replied with a smile. "I'm going for the promotion. Okay, going now. Love you!"

-

Wilson had gotten tired of asking how things were with House and Cameron. Even with him they were pretty secretive. He knew they were living together, of course, but beyond that, there was little to report.

He squeezed his eyes shut, remembering how he had found out they were living together.

_He unlocked the door, taking a step inside. House was probably still sleeping, but he had to get his DVD player back that House had borrowed. _

_He looked around the living room. He spotted the DVD player. Aha! But then he saw something strange. On top of it were a stack of DVDs… and a bottle of nail polish? Wilson looked around the room some more, confused. _

_He realized that there were several new things in the room. And then he recognized the shoes by the door as Cameron's._

_It then dawned on him, but it was too late to escape. He heard the footsteps coming from the hallway._

"_Hey, Greg," she said casually. "I—" She stopped mid sentence with a scream._

_Wilson quickly covered his eyes as she covered herself. She had been wearing just underwear and an unbuttoned shirt that he recognized as belonging to House._

"_I'm so sorry!" Wilson yelled, his eyes still averted. "I didn't think you would be here! I just came to get my DVD player."_

_Cameron buttoned up quickly. "You can look now," she said. _

_A voice came from the doorway. "I'm going to have to revoke your key, Wilson," House said, entering the apartment._

"_I just wanted my DVD player back!" Wilson shouted. _

_House walked around Wilson to wrap an arm around Cameron. "So take your damn DVD player and stop trying to get a look at my naked girlfriend!"_

Wilson was pretty embarrassed about that exchange… didn't speak to Cameron for weeks without both parties blushing, which made people think that _they_ had been having sex. At least it was a diversion from Cameron and House who still refused to reveal their secret after all this time.

-

It was the night of the party, and Cameron was attempting to get ready.

House wrapped his arms around Cameron's waist.

"Greg, stop! I have to get ready!" she said with a laugh.

"You have time," he said, kissing her neck.

"Mmmm…" she sighed, closing her eyes.

She opened them when he reached up for a breast.

"Not time enough for that!" She turned in his arms to face him, smiling.

"When I get home," she promised him.

"Fine," he sulked, not really mad. He went to lay on the bed, and watched Cameron finish dressing.

"How do I look?" she asked, twirling.

She was wearing a blue dress, conservatively cut, but still festive.

"Those dumb-ass young doctors are going to be all over you," he replied.

She smiled, knowing how much of a compliment it was. "I'll stay away from them, promise."

She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "Love you," she said, leaving.

"Love you too," he replied.

She raised an eyebrow going out the door. He rarely actually said the word love. _"I wonder what that means,"_ she thought.

-

House waited about five minutes after she left before getting up. He had a mission to accomplish that she couldn't know about.

He headed out of the apartment, hopped on his bike, and drove off.

When he stopped, he was in front of a jewelry store.

"Order for Gregory House," he stated at the counter.

The man behind the counter located the record on the computer before heading into the back room. He returned with a jewelry box in hand, and opened it for House to see.

Inside the box was a perfect solitaire. Smooth platinum band and sparkling diamond.

House lifted it up to the light to get a good look.

"Is it to your liking, sir?" the man inquired.

"Looks perfect," House answered.

-

Cameron came home from the party exhausted but pleased. She was fairly certain she had scored the promotion.

She carried her heels in her hand as she unlocked the apartment door. She could hear the music from outside. House was obviously in a good mood.

As soon as she entered, he got up and limped over to her, planting a kiss on her lips. "How was the party?"

"I think I got the promotion," she said smilingly.

"We should celebrate, then!" House said, kissing her again and rushing into the kitchen.

When Cameron caught up to him, she saw that he was taking out some champagne glasses.

House pulled the bottle out of the fridge, and was about to move back towards her, but stopped when he saw her face. She looked stricken.

"Don't like champagne?" he asked.

"No… I mean, yes… well, I shouldn't…" she rambled.

House looked at her confusedly.

She sighed, clearing her thoughts. "Greg, we need to talk."

He slowly placed the champagne back in the refrigerator and followed her to the couch. Inside his head, he was panicking, wondering if she was going to break up with him. He started trying to reassure himself that he didn't need her, didn't like her that much anyway.

She sat nervously.

He gave her a look. "Unclench!"

"Sorry," she said, attempting to do as he asked, without much success.

He didn't realize that he was clenching too. "Are you leaving me or something?" he said, his nerves clear despite his attempt to hide them.

"Oh, no, Greg! This isn't about that. I love you," she said passionately.

"Then what?" he responded gruffly.

She looked down. "I'm late."

House looked confused. "For what?"

She squeezed her eyes closed. Men could be so dense. "I think I'm pregnant. I took a home test but it wasn't clear…" She trailed off.

House looked shocked. He stood, and paced around the room.

Allison looked as if she wanted to sink into the floor. There were tears in her eyes.

They were both silent for a minute.

House was the one who broke it. "How could you let this happen?" His tone was harsh.

Cameron's voice was faltering. "There were a couple times I forgot to take the pill when I was working round the clock shifts… "

"How could you be so stupid to forget to take the pill and then have sex? You knew what would happen."

Cameron looked stricken. "I need you to support me, not berate me! Can't you see how hard this is for me?" she cried.

"And it's not hard on me?" House replied angrily. "I guess there's nothing left to do but schedule the termination," he added, trying to dampen the anger in his voice.

Cameron's eyes turned to ice. "I'm not terminating."

"What do you mean you're not terminating?" House turned to look at her incredulously.

"It's my choice. Not yours," she answered, her voice steely.

"And where's my choice?" House asked her angrily.

"I'm making it for you. I'm leaving," she raged at him, running to the bedroom to gather a bag.

She found herself at Wilson's door an hour later.

"I need to stay for a while," she said.

-

House and Cameron were avoiding each other. No one at the hospital had any idea of what was going on but Wilson, and he didn't know the whole story. But he knew he had heard crying from the guest bedroom, and that was enough for him. He glared daggers at House all day. Wilson knew he was too angry to speak to him directly, so the looks would have to suffice for now.

House kept trying to convince himself that he was right. He wasn't ready to be a father, and probably would never be. Cameron should terminate. It would be best for everyone, and then they could get back to the way things were.

He wasn't pleased with how lonely the apartment seemed without her.

Cameron tried to keep up a put-together front for work. When she received word that she would be receiving the promotion, she could only nod and smile tightly. She worried about having a baby so soon after the promotion. She worried about having a baby on her own. House didn't seem like he could be counted on at the moment, or perhaps ever again. Tears were stinging at her eyes, but she couldn't let them flow, not at work.

She had an appointment to get tested on Thursday. She didn't know if she could wait that long to know for sure. She hated being in limbo with Greg, and imposing on Wilson too.

-

"What the hell did you do to her?"

The next day Wilson couldn't keep himself from entering House's office.

"It's her own damn fault," House said, not looking up.

"Someone has to explain this to me," Wilson said in frustration.

"She thinks she's pregnant," House said quietly.

Wilson looked like he was going to explode. "She's living in my guest room crying her eyes out every night because she might be pregnant?" he raged. "House, you're a bigger ass than I thought. How dare you hurt her when she's obviously worried and scared."

He paused, trying to control his anger. "She was afraid this would cause her to lose you, and it turns out she was right. You've given her every right to never trust you again."

House didn't answer, and avoided looking Wilson in the eye.

"Man up, House. This is your child we're talking about. And the girlfriend you supposedly love. Act like it."

With that, Wilson let himself out.

-

House couldn't help but think about what Wilson had said. He tried to convince himself that Wilson was wrong, and he had every right to be angry with Allison, and it was mostly her fault anyways.

He wasn't succeeding very well.

It seemed that suddenly all around him he kept noticing babies. He could swear that he treated about twenty of them in the clinic today. And he couldn't avoid the thoughts that entered his head. What would his baby look like? Would he or she have his eyes, his curiosity? Would he be able to calm it just by being there, as he had seen some dads accomplish?

He tried to banish these thoughts from his head, but they wouldn't go away.

-

"Dr. Cameron, we have your blood test results," the other doctor announced. "You're not pregnant."

"A wave of relief washed over her. Now things could go back to normal. But then she remembered.

Even though she wasn't pregnant, she couldn't go back to him after how he had treated her. What if she really did get pregnant?

"Thank you," she told the doctor as she exited, unable to muster a smile.

-

That evening House found himself banging on Wilson's door. In spite of himself, he was here to beg Allison to return. Baby or no, he needed her. Something was missing without her.

Wilson answered. "Go away, House. Leave her alone"

"I'm not leaving until I talk to Allison," he demanded, pushing past Wilson.

"The last thing she needs is to see you. Don't you dare go in there," Wilson yelled, trailing after House towards the guest bedroom.

House banged the door open. Cameron looked up in surprise, dressed in a robe with her hair piled on top of her head. Her eyes were red.

"Come home, Allison," House commanded.

She stared at him in shock, not answering or getting up from where she sat on the bed. The implications of such a request hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Allison, I want you to come home," he reiterated, his eyes pleading.

She didn't get a chance to answer before Wilson was tugging him out of the room, dragging him to the front door.

"Get the hell out of here. I better not see you here again," Wilson growled at him.

"Don't get your panties in a wad," House said, trying to keep his cool. "Have it your way, I'm leaving."

Not five minutes after he reached his apartment, he got a phone call.

Wilson kept it short. "She's on her way, and if you fuck this up, so help me God, I will kill you."

House hung up the phone in wonderment. Was she really returning? He broke from his reverie. He had to get ready.

-

As she entered, House was playing the piano. He didn't look up at her as she entered, but continued playing.

She dropped her bag in the entry, and observed the scene. House was at the piano, with a glass of scotch and an unopened can of ginger ale sitting on top of the piano. Next to those was a small wooden box.

She sat next to him on the piano bench. When he finished the piece she asked him softly, "What's in the box?"

"Open it and see," he responded without a look towards her. He began to play again, something she hadn't heard before.

"What's this one called?" she asked, taking the box off the piano, setting her beer in its place.

"Allison," he responded simply.

She smiled slightly, still not feeling right about all of this, before turning her attention to the tiny wooden box. It didn't appear to be a jewelry box, not that House was that sort of man. She turned over the box in her hands, feeling it's smooth surface. She wondered what else would fit in a box this small.

She took the lid off, and, despite what she had thought, inside of the box laid an exquisite solitaire.

She gasped, and stared at it with her heart racing.

House finished the piece, letting the final notes ring out.

"Greg… you don't have to do this," she said shaking her head.

"I don't recall you forcing me to ask you to marry me," he responded still facing the piano. "I'm not exactly the kind of guy to just 'do the right thing,'" he said wryly.

She continued to stare at the contents of the box mutely.

He finally turned to her, having gathered the courage to speak his mind. "After you left, I realized how lonely it is without you around. I want you around, Allison, for good." He paused. "Even if that means there will be a baby. I can learn to be a dad if that means I get to keep you," he said with passion.

"Marry me, Allison," he said seriously.

"Greg…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "I'm not pregnant."

His facial expression flitted between confusion, relief, and for a moment, yes, even disappointment.

"We can even try for a baby if that's what you want," he said.

"Just a wedding will do for now," she said smiling softly. "Are you sure about this, Greg?" she asked him.

"I'm sure," he responded, slipping the ring onto her finger. "I've been planning this for a while now. Things just got a bit derailed when you dropped me that bombshell."

He changed the subject, wanting to lighten the mood. "Well it looks like I'll be exchanging that ginger ale for the Champagne that's still sitting in my fridge!" he said nodding to the still unopened can he had left out for Cameron.

"In a minute," Cameron said with a smile, wrapping an arm around his shoulder to keep him sitting. "First, play that song for me again. You distracted me the first time!"

Cameron sat quietly, leaning her head on her new fiancé's shoulder, and listened to him play the song that bore her name.

-


	10. Secrets

Life as a House:

Secrets

A/N: I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I'm not sure how to make it better, so I'm going to go ahead and upload it rather than keep anyone waiting. I have a few more chapters in the works for this, but I may end up working on some other stories first that I have ideas for. I just recently uploaded my second House fic, one that works with the Season 5 finale and is still H/C. I have another of those in progress (going to be a multi-chapter), and a couple other H/C stories. Definitely stay tuned!

-

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: House knows something is going on with Cuddy, and Wilson knows what it is. Cameron returns from maternity leave and has separation anxiety from her daughter.

---

"Allison, they're perfectly qualified," House said exasperatedly.

Cameron cradled their baby daughter tightly in her arms. "What if she needs me?"

He rolled his eyes. "They can find you! When was the last time you went anywhere without your pager?"

Cameron gave House a look before turning her attention back to the child. "You want to stay with Mama, don't you?"

The nursery worker stood in the doorway looking annoyed.

"Come on, Allison, hand her over."

When Cameron looked like she wasn't going to cooperate, House took the baby from her arms by force. He only got control of her because Cameron didn't want to play tug of war with her only child.

House handed the child to the nursery worker who took the baby inside the day care. Cameron plastered herself to the window.

She looked at House with accusing eyes. "How could you allow them to take Gracie from me? What if something happens to her?"

House looked at his wife and shook his head. "You have to get back to work. Maternity leave is up. Are you going to carry her around work with you?"

"Yes," she said defiantly.

House burst out laughing, and dragged Cameron towards the elevator. "You can check on her at lunch, and they promised to page us both if anything went wrong."

She just fixed House with accusing eyes. "If anything happens, I'm blaming you."

"My pleasure," House said with an eye roll.

-

Normally Cameron liked the consistency of the work in Immunology. Her day was filled with appointments and consultations, and emergencies were rare. It was a far cry from her work in both Diagnostics and Emergency. It wasn't as challenging as Diagnostics, but House consulted her on most cases, and it was pretty big consolation to actually get out of the hospital at 5 most days.

However, today it wasn't enough to keep her attention. Her thoughts constantly traveled upstairs to her daughter in the hospital day care. She considered lobbying for longer maternity leave, or at least to be allowed to take her daughter with her throughout the day. Twelve weeks was far too soon to be expected to place Grace's care in the hands of some stranger!

Somehow after a consult she found herself getting in the elevator and hitting the number for the floor the daycare was on. _"I'm just going to check on her,"_ she reassured herself.

When she reached the room, she pressed up to the window. Grace was being rocked by one of the workers. She waved at her daughter before remembering that the glass was mirrored on the other side.

She didn't know how long she watched. Her pager went off and she ignored it. She ignored everything around her until she was shocked out of her reverie by a shout.

"Allison!"

She turned to see House heading her direction with an expression that mixed annoyance and understanding.

"You've left a patient waiting for 20 minutes! When you didn't answer your pager, people started to worry. Cuddy and Wilson came and got me because I'm apparently the only one who knows how to find you."

Before she knew it, House was leading her back towards the elevator. "Go see your patient!" he instructed.

"You don't see patients," she wheedled.

"But you do!" House said firmly.

-

House headed back to his office. His patient had left that morning and there was nothing left to do. His team was in the clinic, but he would rather do anything rather than head down there. He tried to come up with something interesting to do. He considered bugging Wilson.

"_Wilson. Now that's a mystery,"_ he thought. Wilson had been spending far too much time with Cuddy recently. He had even seen her go into his office several times, something he had rarely seen in the past. He would have investigated this already, but he'd been too distracted with Allison and the baby.

He got up, ready for some spying. _"No time like the present,"_ he thought.

He found himself sneaking into Cuddy's office. How he managed to get in without getting caught was beyond him, but he was glad for the luck. He logged on to the computer, opening up her email.

Lots of junk mail, hospital business, emails from Victoria's Secret… He paused to appreciate the picture in his mind of Cuddy in said underwear before continuing. Here was something… appointment confirmation? From Princeton General!

_Dr. Cuddy,_

_This is a confirmation for your OB-GYN appointment with Dr. Taylor at 11:00AM on Monday the 17__th__._

_Marie Frey_

_Administrative Assistant, Obstetrics_

House had hit the jackpot. And no wonder she didn't catch him in her office—today was the 17th and she must still be gone.

Just then, he looked up. Cuddy and Wilson were entering.

"How did it go?" Wilson asked her before the pair looked up to see House sitting at Dr. Cuddy's desk trying to look innocent.

Cuddy flew at him in a rage. "House, what the hell are you doing in here? This is a breach of privacy! Get your ass out of here NOW!"

As soon as she stopped yelling she burst into tears. House got up; he had seen all he needed. He knew for sure now. Cuddy was pregnant.

Wilson glared at him while trying to calm the hysterical doctor as House exited the room.

What he needed now was to figure out how Wilson figured into all of this. His stomach rumbled suddenly. _"After lunch,"_ he thought.

He wandered into his wife's office. They often had lunch together if she wasn't having a lunch meeting. When he found it empty, he inwardly groaned. Not again.

He found her exactly where he expected; peering in the window of the day care.

"Let's go get some lunch, Allie," he said, pulling her away from the window.

-

After lunch, Cameron sat at her desk staring at a mountain of paperwork. _"I can bring Gracie with me to do paperwork,"_ she thought. She started again on the familiar path to the day care.

House, on the other hand, was focused on another child—Cuddy's. He entered Wilson's office without knocking.

Wilson and Cuddy looked up with a start. Of _course_ she was in there.

"House, leave us alone," Wilson said firmly.

House looked suspiciously between the two. "Enjoy her funbags," he quipped before leaving.

He then headed to bother his wife, seeing as his first plan had ended so suddenly.

Allison was cradling their little girl in her arms, ignoring the pile of paperwork on her desk.

"Allison…" he grumbled exasperatedly.

"She missed me, Greg," she said sweetly, smiling down at Grace.

"Didn't you baby?" she asked. The baby gurgled a reply.

He took his wife and marched her back up to the day care.

"You have to learn to let her go, or she'll become attached and we'll never get her out of the house when she's supposed to go off to college and leave us alone," he explained with a grimace.

The two stood at an impasse, but the scene played out similarly to the morning, with House winning and the child ending up back in the day care.

-

After work, the two went home in separate cars as usual. Cameron, of course, insisted on Grace going home with her, so House was alone. He decided on a detour. He stopped the car in front of Wilson's residence. There was a for sale sign in front.

He got out of the car and limped over to a window to peek in. It was mostly empty. There was some furniture, but most things were gone.

House suddenly had an idea come to him. He sped back to the car and headed towards Cuddy's house.

He wasn't surprised to see two cars parked in front.

-

The next morning he went straight to his wife's department, looking for coffee. She was nowhere to be found. The coffee was made so he knew she had been here. He really didn't need more than one guess as to where she was.

When he found her this time, he was stern.

"Allison, you have to do your job."

"Why? You don't!" she angrily responded.

"I have tenure," House responded, quieting her. He continued, "I better not catch you up here again today."

He ushered her into the elevator, hitting the buttons for both of them with his cane.

He pushed her out of the elevator when it reached her floor. "Now go do some work! I have important matters to attend to," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

'Important matters' being the mystery between Wilson and Cuddy. He couldn't imagine that they were together, but the evidence was overwhelming.

"Are you and Cuddy doing the nasty?" were the first words out of his mouth in Wilson's office. Wilson looked amazed.

"What would give you that idea?" he asked, careful to neither confirm nor deny.

"Maybe the fact that you live with her," House retorted. "Oh, and the tiny detail that she's pregnant."

Wilson raised his eyebrows and let out a low whistle. "Guess the secret's out…"

"So you _are_ doing her!" House crowed gleefully.

"No!" Wilson shouted. He amended, "Well… not now anyways."

House stared at Wilson, waiting for the rest of the details.

"We were becoming close a while back, around the time Grace was born. We went on some dates, had some sex… Lisa wasn't on birth control. Despite all the trouble she had conceiving before, it happened without trouble the natural way. We aren't dating anymore, but we thought it would be best if I was close because of the baby," Wilson confessed.

He added, "So have you gossiped to the entire hospital yet?"

"No, that's what I'm about to do," House said with a grin as he left.

Wilson dropped his head into his hands with a cross between a smile and a grimace.

-

Returning to his office after the excitement of that morning, House suddenly couldn't keep his mind off his daughter. Now that he knew no one was checking on her constantly, he felt the need to go up there himself.

He tried to shake the feeling. _"She's perfectly fine,"_ he told himself. His logic was warring with the new feelings of fatherhood that were emerging in him.

-

Cameron looked at the clock. 3:29 ticked over to 3:30. She had obeyed House thus far, but was getting worried about her child with no one to check on her. She made up her mind. She would endure whatever wrath her husband brought upon her.

Cameron sneaked back to the day care. _"Greg can't stop me from checking on my baby!"_ she thought defiantly.

She moved slowly towards the glass, hoping to go unobserved by anyone in the hallway. She was sure Greg had bribed the nurses to let him know if she visited the nursery. She peered in at the children playing. She saw four babies in cribs napping. She took a closer look. She didn't see Gracie!

Cameron looked around frantically. Grace wasn't in the day care room! She began to panic. Her only thought was to find her husband.

She practically ran to the elevator, pushing the button several times to get off on House's floor.

She reached the glass doors of the conference room, viewing House's team assembled inside, but no House. She was in tears at this point.

Suddenly, with a look inside House's office, she was stopped in her tracks.

House was inside… cradling baby Grace! He didn't notice his wife peering in from the other side of the glass wall. He was facing the conference room and talking to the child.

"And that's my team, but they're a bunch of idiots. We're supposed to find out why people are sick but they never figure it out and I have to do everything for them," House told the baby girl, his voice contradicting his words with a soft tone.

He looked up suddenly to see his wife in the doorway with tearstained cheeks.

"I couldn't find her," she said simply.

He wordlessly held out Grace to his wife, and she took the child into her arms with relief.

"You wouldn't let me go get her. What makes it okay for you?" she asked him accusingly, unable to muster up real anger.

"She was coughing," he stated, not looking at his wife. "She should be with a doctor." House grumbled.

Cameron just smiled to herself. House had been checking in on their little girl too, though he was loath to admit it.

Apparently he wasn't so averse to fatherhood after all.

-


	11. A White Wedding

Life as a House:

A White Wedding

A/N: I hadn't intended on writing the story of their wedding, but I've really enjoyed this one! I have summaries written for several more chapters of this, which I'll end up finally writing when I get inspired. I even have a couple that focus in a bit more on the House children. Stay tuned!

-

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: After being engaged for some time, House suggests they finally tie the knot. They plan to sneak off to get married during a medical conference in Vegas, but there's one problem—Cuddy decides to send House alone!

---

House and Cameron were laying in bed one night in post-coital bliss.

"Hey," House said lazily.

Cameron looked at him questioningly.

"It's about time we should get hitched," he stated.

Cameron raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I thought you'd never ask!" she said, a grin spreading on her face.

House frowned. "Then why the hell did I spend so much money on your damn ring?" He looked at it sparkling on his fiancée's finger, the only speck of clothing or accessories on her body. "Give that back, then." He reached for it.

"No," she giggled, rolling away from him. He crawled towards her on the bed, pretending to look angry. This just made her laugh all the more, until she backed so far that she fell off the bed in an unceremonious plop.

House roared in laughter as Cameron turned a deep shade of crimson. She stood up haughtily.

"I," she said, "Am taking a shower now." She stomped off towards the bathroom, leaving House still laughing.

-

The next day House awoke to the most wonderful smell of cinnamon. He sniffed his way to the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Cameron's waist.

"Cinnamon rolls," she said with a smile.

"Part of this nutritious breakfast," House quipped, making Cameron roll her eyes.

She shook free of his grip to finish icing them, and when she turned around he was seated at the table. She placed a roll on each of their plates along with some fresh fruit, before joining him. It wasn't often that they had breakfast together. Usually one of them had to run off to the hospital early, or House would decide he was showing up late that day and not get up until she had left.

Cameron broke from her reverie when House asked her a question. "So how soon do you want to do this thing?" he asked.

"Um," Cameron mused. She really hadn't had time to think about it yet. "Soon, I guess."

House rolled his eyes. "What an answer. Weren't you up all night planning this thing out? I thought that's what women did."

Now it was Cameron's turn to roll her eyes. "Contrary to popular belief, sleep does outweigh wedding planning for some of us."

They sat in silence a few minutes, munching on their breakfast. "I don't really want another big wedding," she said.

House looked relieved. "Allison, what do you think of eloping?" he asked.

Cameron smiled. "Sounds like something you would do."

House grinned. "I'm going to assume that's a good thing. I have a plan."

Cameron laughed. "Of course you do, but the big reveal is going to have to wait, Greg. I need to finish getting ready for work."

House grumbled, but followed suit. He hated having to wait a whole day to really talk to his Allison again, but he wasn't ready to let everyone know they were getting married. He had to come up with some really great way to let the hospital know. Luckily for him, Cameron was willing to go along with his shenanigans for once. He would have to get his fill of Cameron by talking about her instead of to her, with the only person who knew—Wilson. But he wasn't going to tell Wilson his plan. That was staying between him and his fiancée.

-

House got home late that night. They had gotten a case that day, but he had finally gone home, leaving his team to monitor the patient overnight. He found Allison in bed reading when he got home. She looked so cute with her hair piled on her head haphazardly and her reading glasses on her nose.

She looked up with a start when he spoke. "You didn't have to wait up for me," he said in a rumbling voice as he started to undress for bed.

She smiled at him, putting the book away. "I wanted to hear your plan!"

"Isn't it a little late to get into all that?" he asked, baiting her, as he climbed into bed next to her.

She pouted. God, she was cute when she pouted. "But I stayed up just for that!"

House had to laugh. She sounded like a little girl who just found out she wasn't getting any Christmas presents. "Fine, fine. I'll tell you my plan, but only if you let me sleep in tomorrow."

"Deal," she said, her pout disappearing and transforming into a grin.

"So I heard that Cuddy's going to make me go to this conference in Vegas in a couple of weeks, and I was thinking what better place to elope?"

"I can probably think of a few," Cameron teased.

"Hey, if you don't like it, I just won't tell you the rest of my plan!" House said in mock offense.

"I love your plan," she said, suddenly seductive, trailing her hand down his chest and leaning in close. House gulped.

"So…" he continued. "She usually sends someone along to make me behave, as you know. I find it pretty likely she'll choose you."

Cameron laughed, breaking the spell of seduction. "After last time? I think we skipped enough sessions that she doesn't trust me to look after you anymore."

House smiled at the memory. "She was so pissed that I wouldn't tell her why we skipped."

"Thanks for that," Cameron said, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

House shrugged, not good at accepting thanks. "So I convince her that I need babysitting in Vegas, and we head down there and skip the conference."

"I guess she'll end up hearing about that," Cameron mused.

"Eh, I can pay off some people to say we were there, or just let her be mad at me. It'll be worth it either way."

Cameron smiled at the compliment, but couldn't refrain from teasing him a little more. "Mad at you? She'll probably kill me! She hardly blames you for your own immaturity anymore."

"Hey, you don't want to marry me in Vegas, just say the word," he teased back.

She softened. "Of course I want to marry you in Vegas."

House smiled. "So you like my plan?"

Cameron laughed with a twinkle in her eye. "Want me to show you how much?"

-

It was just the next morning when House got called into Cuddy's office.

"My, aren't your melons looking lovely today. Save a slice for me?" he teased her by way of greeting.

"House, you're disgusting," Cuddy replied. Getting down to business, she continued, "In a couple of weeks there's a conference in Las Vegas. No, the hospital won't pay for you to drink or gamble, and if you miss any of the sessions because you're in the casino, I'll have your ass on a platter!"

"And what will you be doing with my ass? I need to know if I should be objecting to this," House quipped.

Cuddy fumed. "House, I can fire you, you know!"

"But you won't." Thinking better of it, he decided not to tease her any more than he already had. "And who will be joining me on this lovely vacation to Vegas?"

"That's the other thing," Cuddy said, suddenly very nervous about this. "You'll be going alone. I can't just send other doctors that this hospital needs to babysit you every time you go to a conference. I've had enough and I'm just not going to do it anymore!"

"Good, easier to escape to the slots," House muttered before rushing out of the office, leaving Cuddy in confusion.

-

Cameron was in the middle of a meeting with a patient when her pager went off. It was House. He almost never paged her—when he needed a consult (which was as often as he could manage), he visited her himself. What was going on?

She excused herself from the meeting as quickly as she could, heading up to his office. She walked through the conference room, House's newest ducklings looking up as she passed.

"Ah, Dr. Cameron," House said loudly. "I need to consult with you and your stunning little ass."

The ducklings looked on in disgust. Would he ever stop harassing her?

Once the door was shut, House spoke. "We've run into a minor glitch," he said.

"What do you mean?" Cameron asked, looking worried.

"You know," House said pointedly. "With the plan!"

Cameron sat on the edge of his desk. "The plan, of course. What happened?"

"She's sending me by myself."

Cameron looked as if she was going to laugh. "Why on earth would she risk that when you're going to be in Las Vegas?"

"Beats me," House said. "But we need a backup plan."

Cameron wrinkled her brow for a minute, thinking. Soon a smile spread across her face. "Leave that up to me."

She stood up to exit. "I'll talk to Cuddy right before I leave at five. Love you," she said, before opening the door to the hallway.

House sat for a moment. Of course he was going to spy on them that afternoon. What could Allison have up her sleeve?

A minute later House strode into the conference room.

"What did you and Dr. Cameron come up with?" one of the ducklings asked hopefully.

"Nothing," House responded distractedly.

The team exchanged looks. "Then what were you talking about for so long?"

"All the things she was going to do to me after work tonight," House answered sarcastically. "And let me tell you, it's going to be hot."

"Bullshit," one called out.

"You're disgusting, House," said another.

House smiled to himself. He'd sure show them.

-

"Dr. Cuddy, may I have a word with you?" Cameron inquired to the hospital administrator.

"Of course," she responded. "Let's go into my office."

House had already snuck into Lisa Cuddy's office, unbeknownst to the two women currently entering it. He watched the exchange from his hiding spot.

"Dr. Cuddy, I need to take some time off in a couple weeks," Cameron stated, seemingly nervous.

"_Don't choke up,"_ House thought, getting nervous himself.

"That's fine, Cameron. You probably have a month of unused vacation days. What's the reason, if you don't mind me asking?"

Cameron sighed. House wondered what she was getting at. "My father is having surgery that week and I want to go be with my parents for support," she said, tearing up.

House stared at her with a mix of consternation and admiration. When did she become such a great actress?

"Allison, you take off as much time as you need," Cuddy said firmly, putting a hand on Cameron's shoulder.

"Oh, a week should be sufficient. Thank you so much, Dr. Cuddy," Cameron said, sounding sincere.

"No problem," she responded. "If you need more time, let me know."

House stared after her in amazement as she exited the office. He'd created a monster!

-

She beat him home, since he had to wait for the opportune moment to exit his boss's office. He found her in the living room with a self-satisfied smile on her face.

"You little minx!" he greeted her.

"I thought you only called me that in the bedroom," she responded saucily.

He couldn't decide if he was proud with her or annoyed, so he just stared at her with that same look. "You're becoming me," he said.

Cameron howled with laughter.

"Where did you learn to lie like that?" he asked her.

"I learned from the best," she said with a wink. "It shouldn't surprise me that you spied on us."

House shook his head. This woman was really getting to him. "So I guess the plan is on?"

"Yep," she responded, pulling him down on the couch next to her. "Now all we have to do is pack."

-

Despite the fact that they were eloping, there were still preparations that had to be made. House told her to leave the vacation up to him, so she nervously allowed him make the arrangements for their flights, accommodations, and wedding. She just hoped that they wouldn't be married by Elvis.

They were getting there Monday, getting married on Tuesday. She had asked him to keep Wednesday night free.

"Why?" he asked.

She smiled. "I have a surprise."

"It better be strippers," he joked.

She rolled her eyes. "Better," she promised.

Cameron insisted that it at least somewhat resemble a "real" wedding, and made House get his formal suit cleaned. She went out and bought herself a simple white satin dress that fell to the floor. She kept it in a garment back at the back of her closet, keeping some semblance of tradition, though she fully expected House to sneak a peek.

They shopped for the rings together, simple white gold ones that matched the band of her solitaire. They were kept in a box on the nightstand.

It was a couple days before leaving that Cameron fully processed all this information. She was getting married.

"Maybe we should tell our parents?" she suggested to House. They were leaving in the morning for Las Vegas.

House looked at her like she was crazy. "Isn't the point of eloping that no one knows?"

Cameron laughed lightly. "I guess, but part of me wishes they could be there," she said, getting serious.

House stroked her hair, showing a gentleness that only came out when they were alone. "I know," he said with a small smile.

Cameron didn't see the smile, her eyes closing as she leaned into her fiancé's chest.

"They'll want to throw a party, you know," she said.

"What?"

"When we tell them." She sleepily smiled.

-

The time had come. They had a very early morning flight. House had upgraded their tickets, allowing them to sit together in first class, even though neither was conscious for much of the flight.

They arrived at about lunchtime, early enough that they couldn't check into their hotel yet. House refused to tell Cameron where they were staying, or really anything about the trip he had planned for them. No amount of pleading or pouting would make him tell.

They took a cab to a restaurant, dragging their luggage with them. They annoyed the waiter by hanging around until it was late enough to check into their hotel.

As the cab approached their destination Cameron's eyes widened. "We're staying on the strip?"

"Duh," House responded. "Like I would stay anywhere else."

Cameron shook her head. "I know Cuddy didn't book you on the strip."

"No," he said. "I'm paying for this," he continued, as they pulled up to the Bellagio.

Cameron's eyes bugged out. "This is a joke right?"

"Nope, and you better damn well appreciate it, I paid an arm and a leg for this," House grumped, but really he was pleased to see Allison so excited.

"A crippled leg or regular?" she asked teasingly.

"Ouch," he said, pretending to be hurt.

When they pulled up to the door, Cameron didn't even notice the porters taking the bags for them because she was too busy staring in wonder at the hotel they were staying at.

House led her by the hand up to the reservation desk and into the elevator. She was speechless when they reached the room.

"This is…" she trailed off. "Amazing," she finally finished.

House just smiled, pleased with his handiwork. He had booked one of the Bellagio's tower suites. It was beautiful, large, and had an amazing view.

Cameron surprised him by running up and giving him a tight hug and passionate kiss. "I can't believe you did all this," she said.

"Oh, I just wanted the room with a bar built in," he said, shrugging off her compliment.

She ignored that comment and dragged him off to the bedroom, which, after a few minutes of admiration, they made good use of.

-

"So what's on the agenda for tonight?" Cameron asked excitedly. She was still on a high of excitement from seeing where they were staying, not to mention the amazing sex.

"Dinner," House said.

She looked at him expectantly. "I'm not saying where!" he exclaimed. "It's a surprise."

She couldn't hold in a grin. This was going to be the best week ever!

She bounded into the bathroom, letting out a squeal when she got a look at it. House smiled from where he still lay on the bed. This was indeed going to be a good week.

-

The hotel called them a cab, and House and Cameron stepped into it, dressed up for a night out. He still hadn't revealed where they were having dinner, but he told her to dress nice. She was in a little black dress that hugged her subtle curves in all the right spots. House was wearing black dress pants and a deep blue dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar.

They drove for only a few minutes before reaching their destination. Several groups were gathered. Cameron looked at House questioningly, but he ignored it. Then she saw the sign: Dinner in the Sky.

She had no idea what on earth that meant, but was suddenly very glad that she wasn't afraid of heights.

They ended up suspended high above the Las Vegas strip, being served filet mignon. Cameron was amazed. House simply explained, "They have everything in Vegas."

"What are y'all doing in Vegas?" drawled the heavyset Texan woman seated across from Cameron.

House answered first. "Hookers, drinks, and gambling."

"Greg!" Cameron chided in consternation. "Actually, we…" she trailed off, exchanging a look with House before continuing. "We're eloping."

The woman squealed. "Oh, isn't that just the sweetest thing! Bill and I are here for our anniversary," she confided, elbowing the man next to her.

"Get these folks some champagne," the woman called to the server. "They're gettin' married!"

Cameron blushed crimson at the attention, but House was pleased to be receiving free drinks, no matter the reason.

House had been especially agreeable, despite his earlier outburst, and after the dinner was over, they had made several new friends.

When they returned, they spent the night in the casino drinking and gambling, both on a high from the day's excitement.

-

Cameron awoke still in her dress, hair a mess and makeup smeared on her face. She groaned, the light from the window causing a pounding headache. Great. She was hungover on the day of her wedding.

She climbed out of bed to close the shades on the window, but was stopped by an envelope on the bedside table. She didn't remember that being there before. Then again, she didn't remember much of last night after dinner.

She opened it up and slowly pulled out the contents. A check. A check made out to Allison Cameron for the amount of thirteen thousand dollars. She swooned in shock, but luckily a pair of strong hands was there to keep her from collapse.

"Good," House said. "This will keep me from going into debt over this wedding."

He laid Cameron on the bed, and she looked up at him incredulously. "You're not really going into debt over this, are you? How much did you spend?" She paused. "And how the hell did I win that much?"

"One question at a time, please," House countered. "To answer the first, No. The second, I'm not telling. As for the third question… I don't remember."

"You're useless," came her muffled responded; she had placed a pillow over her face to block out the light still streaming in the large window.

"I'm still good for one thing," he said seductively, making Cameron shiver. He laughed, breaking the mood. "Let's get you in the shower. Can't have you hungover on your wedding day, now can we?"

-

The day seemed to go by quickly. They had lunch at one of the restaurants at the hotel, relaxed in their suite afterwards, and then soon it was time to prepare for the wedding.

They nervously got ready in the suite, Cameron having given up on the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the ceremony. House got ready before her, waiting in the living room for her to emerge. When she did, it took his breath away.

She was stunning in a simple white satin gown that just brushed the floor. Her makeup perfectly complimented her features, and her hair was down in its natural curl, with a white orchid tucked behind one ear.

"How do I look?" she asked nervously.

"Like I want to ravish you right here and now," House responded, standing up. Now it was Cameron's chance to admire House.

He looked so handsome in his fitted black suit, with a formal cane, silver and shiny cherry wood. He was even, for once, clean shaven.

"Ready to go?" he asked, holding out a hand for hers. She nodded.

Instead of a cab, a limo awaited them. Cameron just shook her head wordlessly, a smile playing on her lips. Most of the ride was silent, Cameron leaning into House's shoulder, both with their minds on what they were about to do.

Cameron considered breaking the silence to ask where on earth they were going, but decided against it. Her curiosity grew as they were on the road for more and more time. They had been driving nearly 45 minutes when the limo pulled to a stop.

House helped her out of the limo. Into view came a lake, with a small yacht docked in front of them. Cameron gasped at the sight, and looked up at House with shining eyes.

He just smiled. He loved the look in her eyes when he managed to surprise her. He led her up to the yacht, and she saw an area set up for a wedding on the open back of the boat. An officiant was waiting for them. He shook Greg's hand. "Are we ready?" he asked.

"Wait," Cameron said. "Don't we need witnesses?"

"Well, I guess we do," House said. "Let me see about that." He disappeared through a doorway.

Cameron frowned slightly. She thought he had taken care of everything.

He peeked his head out through the doorway with a twinkle in his eye. "I found some people in here, and I guess they'll have to do."

He walked out with several people following. It took Cameron only a second to recognize them. "Mom!" she cried, running towards them. A laugh rippled through the group. As well as her parents, there were her brothers, sister, brother-in-law, and Greg's mom too!

After releasing her mom from a hug, Greg was right behind her with a hand on her back. He whispered in her ear, "Don't cry now, or all that time you spent doing your makeup will go to waste!"

She laughed, and the tears fell, despite his protests. She still looked radiant.

They were married in the middle of Lake Mead at sunset. It was perfect, breathtaking, romantic.

After the short ceremony, a table was brought out and they dined and danced the night away. Even House was able to have his first dance with his new wife.

"Where are you all staying?" Cameron asked her family.

"Greg booked us all rooms in your hotel," Cameron's sister Kate answered.

"And it cost me a small fortune," House groaned. They all laughed. Cameron's eyes were shining.

When they night was over, they all traveled back in the limo together, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

Over an hour after disembarking the boat, House and Cameron finally reached their room.

Cameron had hardly taken her shoes off when she felt a strong arm around her waist and warm breath in her ear. "I never thought I'd get you alone," House's voice rumbled.

They made love against the window, high above the lights of the Las Vegas strip. Afterwards Cameron was seated on House's lap in a chair looking out, both wearing nothing but the rings that bound them together.

She leaned against him. "Thank you for tonight, especially for bringing my family," she said. "It's the best gift I've ever gotten."

"Do I get a gift?" House growled into her ear, puling her tighter against him. She giggled.

She suddenly pretended to be serious. "As a matter of fact, yes. Did you know that monster trucks come to Vegas?" She grinned.

Yes, he had definitely married the right woman.

-


	12. Labor Pains

Life as a House:

Labor Pains

A/N: I'm so glad that many of you enjoyed the last chapter! It was definitely one of my favorites to write so far. This one isn't quite as good, but it will do. And I promise that I will eventually get some stories up relating to the children when they're a little older, I've just really been enjoying writing about them as a young family.

-

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: Cuddy goes into labor, and House and Cameron go visit, due to Cameron's desire for sweet revenge. The new parents request something of House and Cameron.

---

"Dr. Cameron… Dr. Cameron!" The nurse waved her over as she passed the nurse's station in the hall. "Have you heard?"

Cameron didn't find this unusual. The nurses at this hospital were always gossiping, and one of the downsides to making friends with them is that they always wanted to tell you every snippet they heard. "Heard what, Sarah?"

Sarah and her other companions practically squealed with delight at the chance to tell the story again. "Dr. Cuddy went into labor this morning in the middle of her office, right in front of some important hospital donors! Oh, can you imagine?" She clucked her tongue. "It's just like her to insist on working right up 'til her due date." The other nurses nodded their agreement.

Cameron had stopped listening after "Dr. Cuddy went into labor." She had to tell her husband! She stopped the giggling women to make her escape. "Thanks for the gossip, girls, but I've got to run!" She waved at them as she nearly ran down the hall towards the elevators.

She stepped in, pressing the number for Greg's floor. She couldn't wait to tell him!

She entered his office panting from the exertion of running there. "Greg, Lisa went into labor!"

House was seated with his legs up on his desk, playing gameboy. "Yeah, I know."

"You know?" Cameron looked at him incredulously. "Why didn't you tell me? We have to go visit!"

House finally tore his eyes away from his game boy and looked at his wife, breathing heavily and shimmering slightly from sweat. "You know, Allison," he said, leering, "When you've been running like that you look kind of like you do after we have sex."

Cameron rolled her eyes.

"But," he added, wrinkling his nose, "With far too many clothes on."

"Now is not the time!" she said with annoyance. "We have to make it up there before she has the baby!"

House looked at her oddly. "Why?"

She sat on his desk, leaning over towards him, running a graceful finger along his shoulder and neck. "Remember when I was in labor with Gracie, and Wilson and Cuddy walked in on me in the middle of a contraction?"

It was hard to concentrate when she was so close to him, but he managed to answer. "Yeah, I remember."

She was silent for a moment before continuing. "Well," she said determinedly, "It's payback time."

House looked up at her in surprise with a grin spreading across his face. God, he loved this woman!

-

Cameron insisted on waiting outside Cuddy's room in the maternity ward until the opportune moment.

"I thought you were supposed to be the mature one," House commented, receiving only an eye roll in response.

When she heard a low moan coming from inside the room, she made a move. "Let's go!" she said, dragging House along.

They stood in the door as Lisa Cuddy rode out the contraction. When it had ended, she and Wilson looked up to see them standing there.

"Come on in," Wilson said proudly, not noticing the discomfort of his companion. Cuddy wasn't the only uncomfortable one. It was one thing for House to see his wife in labor, but another thing completely to see his boss this way.

Despite his discomfort, he was dragged in by Cameron who couldn't hold back a smile as she spoke. "I just spoke to your doctor. He says you're doing great," she directed at Cuddy, repeating word for word what she had said to her nearly a year previous.

Cuddy looked angry. "I'm his damn boss, and he tells me I can't have any stronger drugs. Who the hell does he think he is?"

Cameron held back a laugh, but felt sympathetic as well. "It'll be over before you know it," she said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Did you guys ever pick a name?" Cameron asked the pair. House by this time had pulled his gameboy out of his pocket and was playing in the corner of the room.

Cuddy and Wilson exchanged glances. "We narrowed it down, but we're going to wait until she gets here to decide for sure," Wilson answered.

At that moment, Cuddy sucked in a breath quickly. "I think that's our cue to go," Cameron said, getting up. "Good luck, and we'll be back later!"

As they made a hasty exit, they could hear Cuddy's moans and Wilson's comforting words. Cameron would be willing to bet there was still something between them aside from the shared burden of parenthood. She looked up at House, and from the look on his face, she could guess that he was thinking the same thing.

She grabbed his free hand, making him look down at her. He smiled. She always had that effect on him. "Want to go have lunch and gossip about Wilson and Cuddy?" she asked him casually.

"You're buying," he responded, and she laughed.

"I'm pretty sure our money goes to the same place these days, Greg."

"That's what you think," he answered with a wink.

-

House and Cameron finished out the work day with a surprising amount of normalcy considering that their friend was in labor in the same building. Cameron spent the afternoon in the clinic. House stayed in his office, enjoying the chance to do nothing and not get caught.

At the end of the day, Cameron went up to the daycare to pick up the youngest House, Grace. "Ma-ma!" the little girl cried out, crawling towards her.

"Hey, baby," Cameron responded with a smile, picking up her child and cradling her close to her chest.

"Checking Grace out," she stated to the nursery worker, who nodded. "Have a nice evening, Dr. Cameron."

"You too," she said as she walked out the door and nearly ran into her husband.

"Oh!" she said in surprise.

"Hey, Allie," he greeted her, giving her a kiss.

"What are you doing up here?" Cameron asked.

"I wanted to see if I could steal this little parasite away before you could get here," he answered as he lifted the girl from her mother's arms.

"Da-da!" Grace said excitedly, waving her arms around. House gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Well, let's go check on Lisa before taking Gracie home," Cameron said as House shifted the little girl in his arms so that he could walk with her.

-

"How's it going?" Cameron asked the pair when she walked into the room.

"Been better," Cuddy responded grumpily.

"We're probably going in for a cesarean," Wilson said.

To respond to Cameron's questioning look, Wilson added, "We've had very little progress, and the baby's heart rate is dropping, so it's looking like the best option."

Cameron nodded in understanding.

"Hey, where's House?" Wilson asked, looking around, as it dawned on him that he hadn't heard a single snarky comment.

"He's outside with Grace," Cameron answered. "Want me to send him in?"

"I'm sure this is about the last place he'd like to be," Wilson answered with a laugh.

"Well, we do need to get Grace home, but you send me a page when it's time," she directed at Wilson.

"You, on the other hand, try and relax," she said to Cuddy. "Good luck, Lisa!"

"Thanks," Cuddy answered gratefully.

-

When Cameron exited the room, House was nowhere to be seen. She called his cell phone, annoyed.

"Where are you?" she asked exasperatedly when he had answered.

"In the maternity lounge, heating up a bottle for Gracie. She was getting fussy."

Cameron smiled. House really was a great dad, as odd as that idea might appear to some people.

She met him in the lounge, and they picked up some Chinese on the way home, neither of them really feeling like cooking.

After dinner they watched some TV and tried to get their daughter to walk. They'd been attempting this for about a month now, with little result. She seemed fairly content to crawl.

"She'll climb over everything in this damn house, but won't stand up and take a couple steps," House moaned.

"She's curious and doesn't like change. Hmm, that sounds like someone else I know," Cameron teased.

"You like it," House retorted, suddenly leaning very close to her, his face only inches away from hers. Cameron breathed in sharply, her heart racing. Even after marriage and a kid, he had the same effect on her as when they had first met.

The moment was broken by a loud beeping coming from Cameron's purse. Before House knew it, she had run over and dug out her pager. "Lisa's having the baby!" she called out. "We need to hurry!"

House rolled his eyes. "Contrary to popular belief, babies can actually be born without one Allison Cameron House in attendance."

Cameron gave him a look dripping with disdain. "Get Grace's carrier ready, it's nearly her bedtime and we can't leave her here alone."

House sighed, but obeyed. Cameron made all other preparations and met him at the front door. "Let's go!" she squealed.

House stared after her in wonder. He really did not understand women.

-

After a drive to the hospital that seemed like forever, they were directed to a recovery room by a nurse. Inside they found Wilson, Cuddy, and the tiny baby together looking like a family.

Lisa looked up at them, radiant. "Come meet Rebecca Hope," she said. Wilson waved them over.

Cameron set down Grace, fast asleep in her carrier, and walked over to meet the new baby. She leaned over, admiring the tiny child. "She's beautiful," she said smilingly. Both parents looked proud at the compliment.

She called over to House, who was standing awkwardly at the foot of the bed. "Aren't you going to come see her?"

"Fine, fine," House said gruffly. "Where's the other rugrat?"

"Rachel is at a friend's house overnight. She'll get the chance to meet Rebecca in the morning," Cuddy answered.

House had stopped listening. A pair of baby eyes had drawn him in.

"House… House!" Wilson called him, and then laughed. "Robbing the cradle?"

"Always looking for a younger, hotter wife," House said, having regained his senses. Cameron rolled her eyes.

Just then, the four adults heard some fussing, and they turned to see Grace had awakened. Cameron went over to comfort her. "We should probably get Grace home," she said, crouching over the carrier.

"One more thing before you go," Cuddy said.

Cameron turned around holding her daughter. "What is it?"

Wilson and Cuddy exchanged looks. "We'd like you two to be godparents to Rebecca," Wilson stated.

Cameron's eyes filled with happy tears, and she was about to accept when House spoke up. "Don't we have to be… you know, Jewish? Or at least believe in God or something," he said disbelievingly.

"Since we're not orthodox, there's actually very little that either of you will have to do," Cuddy answered.

Wilson added, "The main thing is just to be there for here."

Cameron's eyes were shining. "That we can do. Although, maybe not right this second. It's way after Grace's bedtime!"

"Alright, you guys go get some sleep," Wilson said by way of goodbye.

"See you tomorrow," Cameron bid them as the family exited.

-

House and Cameron drove home, and put Grace to sleep. They were in bed together when House heard Cameron sigh.

"Don't tell me you want another one now," House said, giving his wife a look.

"It's not that," Cameron answered. "I just miss Gracie being that small."

"Oh God," House said dramatically. "You do want another. Isn't she enough of a handful?"

"Not as much of a handful as you," Cameron said laughingly.

House rolled over until he was nearly on top of her. "More than a handful, I'd say," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Oh yeah?" Cameron challenged. Her smile became seductive. "Show me."

And that he did.

-


	13. The Injury

Life as a House:

The Injury

A/N: Firstly, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or subscribed to this story! Thank you all so much for your appreciation and feedback! I'm sure I would not have continued so far with these little stories if it had not been for you. And secondly, I want to make a quick apology for a mistake I recently realized I made in the last chapter. Dr. Cuddy's eyes are actually blue, not brown. At some point I will probably re-write that to fix the mistake. Now, on with the story!

-

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: James House was determined to do everything his sister did, and tree climbing was no exception. When Jamie injures himself, how do his parents react?

---

"Here, Jamie, let me help you up," Gregory House said to his four-year-old son as he lifted him into the tree. James House was determined to do everything his sister did, and tree climbing was no exception.

"I bet you can't climb as high as me, Jamie!" Grace House taunted several branches above him.

"Gracie, be nice to your brother. He's half your age!" House reprimanded, then paused. "And you be careful up there. I don't want you falling and breaking your neck," he continued.

"Sorry Jamie," she apologized sweetly, her auburn curls bouncing as she nimbly climbed down to give her brother a kiss on the head. "I promise I'll be careful, Daddy."

House smiled. "That's my girl." He stood beneath his son who was clinging to the lower branches with a look of uncertainty. "You okay there, Jamie?" he asked the boy, standing underneath to steady him if need be.

"Yeah," was the only answer from the lanky young boy. Greg and Allison's younger child was definitely the quieter of the two, but he was just as stubborn. House knew that the silence from the boy meant concentration. Jamie was determined to figure this tree climbing thing out.

House turned as he heard a voice coming from the house. "What kinds of things are you teaching my children, Greg?" Allison Cameron House said, leaning against the door frame.

"Nothing they wouldn't have tried on their own," House responded with a grin towards his wife.

She smiled back at him before turning her attention to her two children in the tree. "You two be careful," she admonished sternly. "I'll be in the kitchen," she continued. "Watching you!" She pointed towards the window.

House laughed. "So no funny business, then?"

"Nope," she responded smilingly.

"Darn, I was wanting to sell them to the circus when your back was turned," he replied as she made her way back inside with a laugh.

He turned back to face the children in the tree. Grace had climbed back up to her earlier perch, and James seemed to be doing fine now, having moved a couple of steps without any help. House looked up at them with pride for his little climbing monkeys. They were nothing if not his children.

"Why can't Mommy come out and play?" Grace asked her father.

"She has to cook because Uncle James and Aunt Lisa are coming over for dinner tonight," House answered, reaching out at the same time to steady his son who was making his way down a thick branch.

"Is Becca coming?" Grace asked excitedly. She had become quite good friends with Rebecca, Lisa and James Wilson's daughter who was about a year younger than Grace.

"Yes, she and Rachel will both be there," House answered.

"Yay!" Grace shouted excitedly, doing an awkward dance while clinging tightly to the tree trunk.

House laughed. "What do you think of that, Jamie?" he asked, his hand still on the boy for safety's sake.

James stopped, and wrinkled his nose. "Too many girls," he said.

House laughed. "Too many for me too, kid."

He took a step back, letting go of his son, and winced in pain. He hadn't realized how long he had been standing out here with the kids. Rummaging through his pockets he found nothing. He had left his vicodin inside.

"Okay, Gracie, I want you to watch your brother for a minute while Daddy goes inside to get his pills. Jamie, don't move until I come back, understood?"

Both children nodded. They took their dad's instructions seriously—though he loved them very much, he wasn't afraid to dole out punishment.

"I'll be right back," House said, moving as quickly as he could towards the door. He headed straight for his bedroom; he must have left them on the bedside table that morning.

He had just swallowed the pill when he heard the commotion. He wasn't sure what came first, the cry or the cracking noise, but as soon as he heard his wife's voice, he was running as best any cripple could do.

"Oh my God, Jamie!" she had cried out. The next thing he knew, he was kneeling next to his wife on the ground, his son lying pale in front of him. Grace was sobbing, but he hardly heard it.

"Greg, get the car," Allison said to him in panic as she tried to stabilize his arm, which was already swelling. To House's relief, the boy was conscious, but he didn't appear to be in very good shape. He did as she said, and, in what seemed both like an instant and an eternity, they were in the car on their way to Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. He was in the front with a pale, scared Gracie, while his wife sat in back with James, attempting to keep him comfortable while calling ahead to the hospital.

"Nurse Brenda? This is Dr. Cameron," she said in a shaking voice. "I'm on my way in with my son, James. He was climbing a tree and fell. Looks like a broken arm and a concussion. We'll be there in about five." She paused. "Okay, thank you." She seemed to be slightly calmer after hanging up the phone.

"What did she say?" House asked his wife.

"Just to keep his arm stabilized and keep him awake. Nothing we didn't already know," she answered. "And they'll be ready for us when we arrive."

The rest of the drive was silent except for Cameron's periodical comforting words to her son. The drive was no more than ten minutes total, but it felt like an eternity.

-

When they reached the ER, Cameron hurried ahead with James in her arms while House and Grace chased behind.

Thankfully it was a slow day in the ER, and James was checked out within minutes of entering. It was not until the boy was moved into his own room and given a diagnosis that either parent was able to breathe. They didn't want to be _those_ parents, but suddenly they understood what it was like to be on the other side. Luckily his injuries were no worse than they had expected; he had a broken arm and a mild concussion.

James was finally allowed to rest, with his mother holding his hand by the bedside.

"Allison," House said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hmm?" she answered, looking up questioningly. She looked exhausted.

"I'm going to take Grace down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. I'll bring you something."

Cameron gasped, suddenly remembering. "The dinner party! I have to call Lisa." She fumbled for her cell phone.

"Calm down, Allie, I'll call them. I'm sure they'll understand. You just stay here with Jamie."

She glanced to her son before looking back at her husband gratefully. "Thank you," she said.

He grunted a response, still uncomfortable with gratitude.

House went to his daughter who was curled up in a chair across the room from her brother. "Come on, Gracie, let's get something to eat." He reached out a hand, which she tentatively took. He looked questioningly at his wife.

"Oh, just grab me a BLT or something," Cameron said absentmindedly, her focus entirely on her son.

House exited the room with Grace in tow.

-

The cafeteria was pretty quiet at 2PM on a Saturday. All they heard were the voices of a few doctors milling about, and the hushed tones of worried families running in to catch a bite. House sat down in a booth across from his daughter. She stared at her food, a hamburger and enticing basket of french fries, but didn't take a bite.

"Okay, Gracie, what's wrong?"

Her face crumbled. "I'm sorry, Daddy, I didn't mean to let him get hurt…" she cried. "I was watching him the whole time, I promise!"

House remembered what his wife had taught him about comforting children all those years ago. He motioned for her to come around to his side of the table. "Come here, Gracie," he said. She did, and he wrapped his arms around her. "This isn't your fault," he said in his low, gruff voice. "Your brother is going to be fine."

She hiccupped, looking up at him with a tear-stained face that nearly broke his heart. "He is?" she asked.

He hugged her tight. "He gave us all a scare. But I promise he's going to be fine."

He held her for a few more minutes before loosening his grip with one hand to sneak a french fry from Grace's plate.

"Daddy!" she cried as she noticed.

"You weren't eating them," he said mischievously.

With a glare towards her father, Grace House pulled that basket of french fries toward her and began to eat, hovering over it in protection.

House smiled. His Grace was back.

-

After they had finished up their late lunch, House got in line again for Cameron's sandwich.

"Daddy, can we get Jamie a cookie?" Grace asked, pointing at the large chocolate chip cookies in a glass case in front of them.

He grinned. "Only if there's one for me too!"

They got the sandwich and the cookies and began to head back to Jamie's room, but House decided on a detour.

They arrived within minutes at the door to Dr. Cuddy's office, and lucky for House (but perhaps not so lucky for Cuddy herself), she was stuck at work on what would have been a lovely Saturday afternoon.

He barged right in, as usual. "Dr. Cuddy, fancy meeting you here today," he said teasingly.

"House what the he-" she stopped as she saw the child who had come in with him. "What the heck are you doing here on a Saturday?"

His voice suddenly went serious. "Jamie fell climbing a tree today."

Cuddy gasped. "Oh my God, House, is he okay?"

He considered sarcasm, but he decided against it due to his daughter hanging on every word of the conversation. "He's going to be fine. Broken arm and mild concussion."

Cuddy sighed, somewhere between worry for the boy and relief that it wasn't worse.

"Needless to say, we have to cancel dinner tonight," House added.

"Of course," Cuddy said mindlessly. "Think Allison would appreciate a visit?"

Well, it just about killed House to avoid making the threesome joke, but censorship was the price of having a kid. "Sure, I think she'd like it."

-

"Lisa!" Cameron called out as she saw the older woman in the doorway. She got up to greet her with a hug, and both women had tears in their eyes when they pulled away.

"Good going, Allison," House said from across the room where he watched his son in bed. "Your yelling woke him up."

She practically ran to the bed, just in time to see her son's eyes flutter open to reveal those baby blues that she had fallen in love with over four years ago when she first looked into her son's eyes.

"Hi, mommy," he said, and then frowned. "My head hurts."

The tears that had been in her eyes began to fall. He had been conscious after the accident, but this was the first time he had been totally coherent.

"Hey, baby," she responded.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" Grace asked in confusion.

"Because I'm happy, Gracie," she answered, hugging her daughter to her.

House suddenly remembered his loot from the cafeteria. "Allison, here's your lunch, though it's a little late by now," he said, noting the clock. "And I have one really big, delicious chocolate chip cookie for my favorite four-year-old," he added with a twinkle in his eye.

While House was distracting the kids, Cuddy and Cameron talked a bit, and decided that Grace would go spend the night at Cuddy's house with her friend Rebecca.

"Gracie, baby, you're going to go home with Aunt Lisa and get to see your friend Becca, okay?" Cameron told her daughter.

Grace looked unconvinced.

"You'll have lots of fun, and Jamie's going to be fine. I promise," her mother told her.

Grace, eventually convinced, went with Cuddy, and the two House parents were left alone with their little boy who was soon asleep again. They were alerted that he would be able to go home later that evening after a bit more monitoring.

House and Cameron had the chance to talk a bit while their son was resting again.

"How was Gracie doing?" Cameron asked. "She seemed really upset earlier."

House sighed. "She thought that Jamie falling was her fault. I had just asked her to watch him for a second when he fell."

Cameron looked concerned. "Is she okay now?"

"Yeah, I told her it wasn't her fault and that he was going to be fine. That seemed to do it."

"Good," Cameron responded. "Anyways, if anyone's to blame, we can only blame ourselves…" She trailed off, deep in thought.

House froze. "I'm going to go take a walk," he said.

-

He found himself up in his office on the deserted fourth floor as afternoon turned into evening.

She was so right. She hadn't said it outright of course, but it was true. He was the only one to blame.

If only he hadn't encouraged a four-year-old to climb a tree. If only he hadn't forgotten his vicodin on the nightstand. If only he hadn't had the stupid infarction in the first place, he could have been up there with his kid, protecting him. Doing the things a father should be doing rather than going inside to get his drug fix.

He hung his head. He had always known he would royally screw up fatherhood at some point. Maybe they'd be better off without him.

He rifled through the drawers of his desk. There had to be a bottle of scotch in here somewhere. He slammed his fists upon the desktop after being unable to find it. Damn it. Well, he didn't have scotch, but he did have pills. He took an extra one, an unnecessary one. It blocked out the pain in his leg, but not the other pain. Pills did little for emotional pain.

He didn't know how long he'd been there when his wife entered, bag of takeout in hand. "Hey," she said softly.

When he didn't respond, or even look at her, she became concerned. "Greg, what's wrong?" she asked, worry evident in her voice.

"Shouldn't you be downstairs attending to your child?" His voice was harsh.

"Don't you mean _our_ child?" she stated slowly, with emphasis.

He shrugged. "He'd be better off without me."

"Gregory House," Cameron admonished. "Don't you ever say a thing like that again."

"It's true, whether I say it or not," he responded, still avoiding her gaze.

"No. It's not." Cameron was adamant.

He turned to look at her, frustrated now. "I was the one who put him in the damn tree in the first place! And I was the one who left him there by himself to go get drugs," he explained angrily.

There was silence for a moment before Cameron spoke. "That's what this is all about?" Her voice was softer than he expected. He only nodded in response.

"Greg…" she said, moving closer to him to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I don't blame you."

"But I blame myself," he said.

"Every parent screws up," she said firmly. "You aren't a bad father because of it. Did I ever tell you what happened to my mom?"

He shook his head. Still not talking, but he looked at least a bit less forlorn than a couple minutes prior.

"She dropped me as a baby. She carried that guilt with her for years. But you know what?" She paused. "She was still a great mom. And you're still a great dad."

House shrugged. "I guess I won't be packing my bags then."

"You better not," she warned. "As if I could handle them both without you. You're the only one who can match them for stubbornness."

He smiled. "One of my better qualities."

Cameron smiled back. "Hungry?" She gestured to the takeout bag that she had brought in earlier. "Wilson brought it. He's with Jamie now."

-

After a quiet dinner in House's office, they headed down to visit with Wilson and send him home before hopefully leaving for home themselves with Jamie.

"Hey, James," Cameron said upon seeing Wilson and wrapping him in a warm hug. "How's the patient?"

She looked over to see House already standing by the bed, which contained a very alert four-year-old.

"He's doing great!" Wilson responded enthusiastically. "We were just chatting about what happened earlier today."

He strode over to beside the bed. "Jamie, why don't you tell your parents what you told me. Why did you let go of the tree?"

The young James wrinkled his nose. "There was a bug on it," he said.

Cameron laughed and cried for the millionth time that day, and House just groaned.

"Wilson, get out of here, your gay ways are influencing my son," House said in exasperation.

"Lisa can tell you exactly how not-gay I am," Wilson retorted.

"Guys!" Cameron chided. "There's a child in the room."

The two men looked over, and House shrugged. "He doesn't understand it."

"He will if you keep talking about it!" his wife said pointedly.

"Fine, fine," House responded grumpily, just as a nurse entered the room to check Jamie's vitals.

"He's free to go," the nurse said smilingly at Dr. Cameron.

They unhooked the child from the machines. "Time to go home now?" he asked.

"Yes, but no more tree climbing until you're older," House instructed his son.

"It's okay, I don't like it anyway," Jamie said. "Too many bugs."

House groaned good-naturedly. "Damn you, Wilson!"

-


	14. A Happy Birthday

Life as a House:

A Happy Birthday

A/N: This fic uses House's birth date from season 1, which was in December. It is inconsistent throughout the series, so I picked the one that worked best for me.

Also, I want to apologize for my apology in the last chapter—the mistake I was referring to did not actually make it into the final version! I completely forgot that I had cut that part out. Oops!

-

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: Cameron can't decide what to get House for his birthday. After his great surprise for their wedding, she feels like she should do something big…but what?

---

Allison Cameron House had no idea what to get her husband for his birthday.

Monster trucks were not coming into town, and, as cool as they were, she had already done that. She wanted to do something unexpected.

She wandered around their shared apartment. He probably wouldn't be home for several hours, as he had a case. She paced in the living room. What else does Greg like?

Lingerie was an obvious choice. She had already purchased some very sexy lingerie for that night, but that certainly wasn't enough.

They would go out for dinner, of course. She was planning on steaks, but nowhere too fancy. This was his night, after all.

No parties. He hated parties.

"_So what does he like?"_ she wondered to herself. _"Other than monster trucks."_

She looked around the living room for clues. He likes video games, music, and his motorcycle.

Okay. She could work with that.

Buying him a new game seemed rather mundane. He would like it, but it really wasn't enough.

She really didn't know enough about motorcycles to buy him anything for it, which left her with one option. Music.

She could get him the new iPod. That seemed like a good idea. But what else? She racked her brain for ideas.

A smile slowly spread across her face. She knew exactly what she was going to do.

-

"Do you have a case?" Cameron asked her husband as she set down a tall stack of chocolate chip pancakes in front of him.

"Not yet," House answered with his mouth full.

She rolled her eyes but didn't reprimand him. It _was_ his birthday after all.

"Well I made a deal with Cuddy, you're leaving with me at 3 today. And you better leave whether you have a case or not, because we have plans for tonight!" Cameron stated firmly as she sat down across from him.

"Yes, ma'am!" he acquiesced with a mock salute.

Cameron thought that the gift would be safe hidden beneath the feminine products in the bathroom, but of course House knew that she would hide them in the place he would be least likely to look. So he knew about the iPod already, but this was the first he had heard of plans for the evening. What could she possibly be planning?

-

House had spent the whole day preoccupied with what they could possibly be doing that night. Luckily for him, he didn't have a case. Or, rather, lucky for any unsuspecting patients.

He was at the car at 2:54, and Cameron met him there at 3:00 on the dot.

"I've been here shivering for six minutes. You're late," he said.

She gave him a look as she unlocked the car. "For what?"

"Being early," he answered, causing her to roll her eyes.

When they got home she picked out his clothes for him. He raised his eyebrows at the sport coat and dress shoes, but put them on without too many complaints.

House only bothered his wife about where they were going every ten minutes or so, which Cameron thought was pretty good for him. She did give him a small piece of information. "We need to be at the train station at 4:30. We're taking the train into the city," she said. The city, of course, being New York.

That really didn't help him at all. In fact, it was less than helpful because there were any number of things to do in New York that you couldn't do in Princeton.

They were soon ready to leave, and Cameron slipped the small wrapped box into her purse.

After about ten minutes on the train, Cameron was getting sick of House's whining and begging to find out their destination, so she decided that this would be a great time to give him his gift. She pulled the box out of her purse and handed it to him.

"Here, be entertained for a while," she said with a smile, handing her husband the box.

He reached for it eagerly and yanked the paper off quickly. Even though it was the second time he'd seen it, he didn't lose any enthusiasm for the object. After bouncing up and down in his seat a bit, he spent most of the ride reading the included information that went with the iPod and telling Allison random facts about his newest toy.

"Did you know I can store over two weeks worth of music on this thing?" House asked her excitedly.

She smiled to herself. "No, Greg, I didn't know," she answered patiently.

Soon they were getting off the train and into a cab, which took them to a steak house. The couple both enjoyed nice juicy steaks, but the entire time, House was wondering where they were going. He was really hoping it wasn't a play.

After they polished off their delicious dinner, Cameron led him outside. He expected her to call another taxi, but she said their destination was within walking distance. House wondered about walking outside in the December air, but he followed.

House looked around. Theaters. He groaned inwardly, but they didn't enter any of them.

"There," Cameron said suddenly, pointing. House's eyes followed her hand to Carnegie Hall.

Cameron pulled the tickets out of her pocket. "An evening at the Carnegie with Ivo Pogolerich," she read from them.

House's eyes widened. "_The_ Ivo Pogolerich?"

Cameron laughed. "How many of them do you know?"

House gaped. "One of the greatest pianists of our time, Ivo Pogolerich?"

"The one and only!" Cameron said with a smile.

House took off like a shot towards the concert hall, leaving Cameron in his wake. She grinned. _"Guess I did alright,"_ she thought.

-

The concert was like nothing Cameron had ever experienced. She had never heard music quite like this before.

She didn't consider herself much of a musician, and was sure she couldn't fully appreciate the music. Her husband was a different story.

House was mermerized by the music. Cameron had rarely seen him pay such rapt attention to one thing; his mind was normally thinking a million things at once. Tonight, however, there was only the music. Cameron cherished seeing this rare side of her husband.

After the concert ended, House stayed seated until most of the people had left, oddly introspective.

"Ready to go?" his wife asked, smiling at him in the way that only she did.

He responded by getting up. He stayed silent until he was out the doors. Cameron guessed that this was about as close to a religious experience as Greg House got.

They took a cab back to the train station, where they embarked on their journey back home. The entire ride he couldn't stop talking about the concert.

When they got home, House let out a yawn.

"Not too tired, I hope," Cameron said with a grin.

House's eyes widened with his smile. "There's more?" he asked.

His wife laughed. "Go to the bedroom and wait," she commanded.

He hightailed it into the bedroom. Anything that led him in there had to be good.

He waited impatiently, but was finally rewarded when his wife entered wearing some very sexy lingerie and holding a chocolate mousse in a glass bowl in one hand and a can of whipped cream in the other.

"Aww, honey, you got me a hooker!" House joked, as soon as he regained the ability to speak.

She only smiled seductively in response before placing the bowl on the bed. She leaned over, giving her husband a good view of her assets, and slowly piled the whipped cream on the dessert. When she was finished she slowly licked her fingers free of whipped cream, staring right at House as she did so.

House sucked in a breath. "Happy birthday to me," he muttered.

-

A/N: Please check out my new fic, Stolen Moments. It is a companion piece to this one, and will be similar to this in that each chapter is a separate story. Instead of the longer storylines that this one contains, they will be more like short drabbles, chronicling smaller moments in their lives or other musings about them. I hope you like it!


	15. Meet the Parents

Life as a House:

Meet the Parents

A/N: I heard that there was some way you could see all the stats on your story, like how many people have favorited it and such. Could someone teach me how to find that? Thanks!

-

Unnecessary disclaimer: None of the characters appearing in the TV show "House, M. D." belong to me.

Abstract: The moment has come that Gregory House has dreaded since the moment he said those fateful words, "Will you marry me?" The time has come to meet the parents.

---

"Mom?" Cameron said on the phone. "Greg and I are engaged!"

She paused a moment while the voice on the other line spoke.

Cameron responded. "Well I guess we can make a trip up there sometime but it might be hard to get off work."

She paused again.

"Thanksgiving? I guess we can manage that." Cameron's face looked concerned. "Okay, talk to you soon. Love you, mom. Bye"

Allison Cameron dropped her head into her hands. House was not going to be pleased with her.

-

"Greg?" Cameron called to her fiancé who was in the living room watching TV. "I think I did something bad."

"Shh. TV," House said, making Cameron roll her eyes.

When the commercial came, he looked at her. "What did you do?"

She sighed. "I may have accidentally gotten us invited to Thanksgiving back at home with my parents."

He looked at her in horror. "You didn't."

She nodded. "I did. I'm sorry, Greg, but you had to meet them sometime."

"But I've been trying so hard not to," he whined.

"It'll just be my mom, step-dad, my brother Matt, who you've met, and his girlfriend Rachel."

House sighed. "Do you want to go, Allie?" he asked.

Cameron smiled. "I do miss my mom."

House sighed again, very dramatically. "I guess we can go, then. But you owe me one," he warned.

"Duly noted," Cameron said with a smile.

-

Allison Cameron lay awake in bed that night. There was a problem she hadn't foreseen. It would be easy for her to ask not to be on call; it wasn't that strange for her to be visiting home. But House, on the other hand, rarely left town. How were they going to manage this?

She turned and looked at the sleeping man beside her and smiled. He'd have an idea.

She curled up against him and willed herself to sleep, hoping to discuss it with him the next day.

-

They discussed it several times throughout the next few days and came up with very few decent ideas. The best they had come up with was Greg finally bowing to his mother's wishes and going to spend Thanksgiving with her.

House breathed nervously as he headed towards Cuddy's office to give her the news.

He enjoyed thinking of creative ways to annoy Cuddy. Today it was very sunny and he had a mirror. He figured he could manage to flash her in the eyes to get her attention.

When he succeeded in his task, she glared up at him and stomped out of her office.

"What the hell, House?" she asked angrily.

"I need to discuss something with you," he said, infuriating Cuddy even more.

"Whatever it is, the answer is no," she fumed, heading back inside her office.

He followed her. "But you'll like this one!" he whined.

"What?" she spat out, impatiently listening.

"Jeez, someone's PMSing…" House muttered.

"House!" she yelled.

"Fine. I need to not be on call over Thanksgiving," he said.

She snorted. "And why would I do that for you?"

"Cause I have a very good reason," he answered smugly.

Cuddy put her hands on her hips and looked up at House expectantly. "And what reason is that?"

"I'm doing something you would be proud of. I'm actually visiting my mom," he said.

Cuddy looked at his in disbelief. "Lying about visiting your mom is low even for you. I want proof."

"This is a hospital, not grade school!" House said in offense.

"Then act like it, House," Cuddy said as she walked off.

House was left in her office alone. How the hell was he going to manage this?

-

"Mom, will you please call Dr. Cuddy and tell her that I'm coming for Thanksgiving?" House begged his mother over the phone after having told her the story.

"Only if I can come for Christmas," Blythe House answered.

House sighed. His mother drove a hard bargain, but he really had no other choice. "Okay, Mom."

He could practically hear her smile over the phone. "Does this mean I finally get to meet your Allison?" she asked.

He smiled a bit at hearing 'your Allison'. "You've met her before, Mom. When she worked for me."

"Oh, of course, dear. I remember. Very pretty. Very young."

House cringed a tiny bit at the part about her being young. He always worried about people's perceptions of a pretty young woman like her being with an aging cripple like himself.

After a pause, she spoke again. "Well, I can't wait to meet her again, Greg. You've seemed happier lately."

"I am, Mom. I've got to go. Don't forget to call Dr. Cuddy."

"I will, Greg. I love you dear."

"You too, Mom," he said as he hung up the phone.

Yeah…Cameron totally owed him.

-

It was finally the night before their flight, Tuesday evening of Thanksgiving week. Cameron was massaging House's shoulders as they sat in bed.

"Thanks for this," she said softly in his ear.

"For what? You're massaging me," House said, knowing exactly what she meant.

"For going with me tomorrow," she answered.

He leaned back slightly and turned his head to kiss her. "Yeah, you totally owe me."

She rolled her eyes. "I know, Greg."

"So…." House said, "How about we move this massage south?" House turned and wiggled his eyebrows at his fiancée suggestively.

Cameron raised an eyebrow. "That was smooth," she said dryly, not missing a beat.

"Aww, come on," he begged, "I know I'm not going to get any in a creaky farmhouse with your parents in the next room!"

"Farmhouse, hmm?" Cameron said as she began to kiss his neck. "Lucky guess."

-

They landed Indiana at Richmond Municipal Airport around lunchtime. Cameron called her parents as they were getting the rental car.

"They're going to hold lunch for us," she said.

As they drove out of the airport, House spoke. "This place doesn't look so small…"

Cameron hid a smile. "My parents don't live in Richmond. We have about a twenty minute drive ahead of us."

"Then where do they live?" House asked, confused.

"Not technically in any town. We just say Wayne County, Indiana."

House just stared at her. He had expected a small town, but this was beyond comprehension.

She smiled. "Closest town is Jacksonburg."

"And how many people live there?" House asked, still in disbelief about all of this.

"Not many," Cameron said with a smile.

House shook his head. "What about all those activities you said you did as a kid? How did you manage that when your high school probably had about five people?"

"We were in Richmond a lot. I went to school there. Growing up, Richmond was a big city to us," she said, reflecting. "Going to Chicago with my father was a whole new world."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Cameron turned on the radio. They spent the rest of the ride jamming to oldies hits.

Soon they pulled up to a large white farmhouse with a wrap-around porch. They had just begun to unload the car when a petite older woman in a plaid shirt and what could only be termed as 'mom jeans' opened the front door. "Allison!" she called.

Cameron turned and went running. "Mom!" she cried as she was pulled into the warmest hug House had ever seen.

He limped his way up the front steps to greet the woman. He stuck out his hand to shake. "Greg House," he stated.

She ignored the hand and pulled him into a tight hug. "Greg, I've been waiting to meet you for so long!" she said warmly. "Let's get you two inside and get you some lunch, now."

They went back to the car to grab their suitcases and followed her inside. Once inside they were accosted a second time. Cameron was enveloped by a tall lanky man with a white beard who she called Dad.

"Joe Step," the man introduced himself, shaking House's hand and slapping him on the back heartily. House was going to have a headache trying to keep up with all the last names in this family.

There were other people there too, Mark, whom he had met, and Rachel, his girlfriend, a friendly woman with dark hair. He shook hands with them both, and they were instructed to leave their luggage in the entry while they all sat down to lunch.

"Lunch is soup and sandwiches today," Cameron's mother, Mrs. Step, said to her daughter apologetically. "I didn't know you two would be in time for lunch."

"Oh, Mom, you don't have to cook a big meal every time I'm here," Cameron chided.

"Well, maybe I like cooking for my daughter," Mrs. Step said with a smile.

House raised an eyebrow as the parents bowed their heads before the meal and Joe led a short prayer. He had known Cameron was atheist… this made that tiny fact all the more interesting.

Lunch was very good, but soon over. Joe excused himself to get some farm work done, and Matt went with him. Rachel and Mrs. Step, Elizabeth, as she told House to call her, helped the couple settle in.

Cameron looked at House apologetically as they were led up the creaky stairs of the farmhouse. House nodded to his fiancée reassuringly that he could handle the stairs for a couple of days.

To House's surprise, they were led into a guest room rather than Cameron's childhood bedroom. Once introduced to their living space for the next few days, Elizabeth and Rachel left the two of them to settle in upstairs.

House dropped onto the bed as Cameron began to unpack.

"Going to leave everything in the suitcase?" she asked her fiancé with a smile.

"You owe me, remember?" he said with a false sweetness and an innocent smile.

Cameron rolled her eyes, but went ahead and unpacked for him quickly.

"Show me around?" House asked as she finally sat down.

"You couldn't have asked while I was still standing?" she complained good-naturedly.

He stood and offered a hand to her, which she turned down as she got up.

"I'm crippled, not useless," he said.

"And I'm neither," she responded with a grin. "Come on, I'll show you my bedroom."

Her roam boasted twin beds on either side of the room, and it was decorated in pale pink, yellow, and white. Light, airy, and sunny. It practically had Cameron written all over it. "You shared a room?" House asked upon seeing the two beds.

"Yeah, Kate and I shared, and so did Matt and Mark," she responded. They took a quick peek into the master bedroom, and the boys room. There was one great thing about the farmhouse; every bedroom had it's own bathroom. After exploring these rooms, they went downstairs and took a quick tour around the living, dining, and kitchen, much of which they had already seen.

After this, they ventured outside, as it was an unseasonably warm day for November. Cameron showed House the stable and barn and then they situated themselves in a swing on the porch. Elizabeth brought them some hot apple cider.

They finally had a chance to talk and relax after a long day. Cameron and House were sitting snuggled together on the porch swing. "This is pretty cliché," House said, gesturing towards the farmhouse and back towards the fields.

Cameron smiled down at her mug of cider. "It wasn't always," she confessed. "You can thank Dad—Joe," she clarified, "for that."

House raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"My father is a lawyer," she said. "Back when my parents were together he worked in Richmond. This house was left to my mother, but father rented out the fields to the neighbors. Mom never really wanted anything but to be a farm wife," she said with a small sad smile. "Dad gave her the life she should have had all along."

"So your father never worked the farm?" House asked.

"No, he never worked a day of physical labor in his life," she answered. "Joe really got the farm going once he married Mom. It was a dream come true for both of them. They're very happy here."

"Were you happy here, Allison?" House asked suddenly.

"Oh, yes," Cameron said passionately. "It was a wonderful place to grow up. But it wasn't what I wanted for my life."

She sighed. "Mom never quite understood why I wasn't content with just this."

"But isn't she proud of you?" House asked, defensive on Cameron's behalf.

"She's very proud of everything I've accomplished, but she doesn't understand why I wanted it. All she ever wanted for me was a husband and children. She's probably happier about this," she said, gesturing to her engagement ring, "than she was about me graduating med school."

House shook his head. "That's terrible."

"Oh, it's not that she doesn't love me," Cameron explained. "She just doesn't understand."

-

The family had just sat down to dinner, a full home-cooked meal, courtesy of Elizabeth Step. They said the prayer, and then began to dig in.

House took a bite. "Oh… my… God," he stated, the bite still in his mouth. Everyone looked up.

Cameron's head snapped around to look at him. He had been good so far, was he going to ruin things now?

The entire table looked at him expectantly. "This…is amazing!" he said, gesturing to the food. "This is the best meal I've ever had."

Elizabeth looked quite proud. "Well, thank you, Greg! I'm so glad you like it!"

Cameron let out a breath. That was a relief.

The rest of the meal and evening went uneventfully. After dinner, there was music. Cameron's mother played an old upright piano in the corner of the living room, Cameron and Mark sang, and Joe played the fiddle. House thought he had accidentally walked into a time machine. _"Is this Little House on the Prairie?"_ he wondered to himself.

As the evening was wearing down, Cameron turned her big doe eyes towards him and asked him to play something. He gave in, grumblingly, and was rewarded with a kiss, and the praises of the entire assembled group. Soon, Mark and Rachel were saying their goodbyes, heading back to their home in Richmond, and Joe and Elizabeth were heading up to bed. House and Cameron followed, but lounged around the room with the TV on for a while.

"So how does a person brought up in a Christian home in the middle of nowhere end up an atheist?" House mused, half to himself.

"I guess that's one of the few things I have my father to thank for," Cameron answered him with an ironic tone. "He was never much of a believer, and when he destroyed our family, that sort of clinched it for most of us," she said, referring to the siblings.

"Not nearly as exciting a story as I was hoping," House pouted.

His fiancée laughed. "Sorry to disappoint."

-

The next morning, they were awakened by the smell of coffee and bacon.

"She even cooks breakfast…" House said sleepily.

Cameron giggled. "Morning," she said, giving House a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning Allie," he responded, still in a sleepy daze.

Only minutes later they heard a knock on the door, Cameron's mother with coffee. "Maybe I want to marry her instead of you," House joked after she had gone.

After consuming the coffee, they showered quickly and headed downstairs to a large breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. House consumed an inordinate amount, claiming that he would never get a breakfast so good again. Cameron pointed out that they would be there for two more breakfasts, but that didn't stop him.

Afterwards, they gathered in the living room to watch the Macy's parade. Elizabeth bustled around the kitchen most of the morning with a flowered dress and apron on, looking the part of the farm wife.

Mark and Rachel arrived as it was nearing noon. Cameron and Rachel both went to help Mrs. Step in the kitchen, bringing out snacks to tide them over until the Thanksgiving meal.

If House had thought that the other meals were good, this one was heavenly. He had never eaten like this before.

The rest of Thanksgiving Day passed lazily with football, music, and board games.

Friday passed uneventfully as well. House, Cameron, and her parents went to Richmond to catch a movie. The rest of the day was spent around the farm, in a quiet relaxation. Mark and Rachel came for the evening meal, and to say goodbye to House and Cameron who were leaving in the morning.

-

They were awakened on Saturday the same way as the previous day. House groaned. "Why can't I wake up like this at home?"

"Because your fiancée has a job other than housewife," Cameron reminded him.

"Willing to reconsider?" House asked hopefully.

"Kidding," he quickly qualified, as he received a scathing look.

Breakfast was consumed quickly, and everything was packed.

Cameron and her mother said a tearful goodbye on the doorstep. Even Joe had tears in his eyes as he said goodbye to the woman he considered a daughter. "Come back and visit us soon," he said.

House got a warm hug and a heartfelt handshake from the two of them, and soon they were off back to the Richmond airport. Cameron was quiet throughout the car ride.

"Whatcha thinking about?" House asked her.

"That I miss this place," she said.

"Oh," House responded, unable to think of more to say.

Cameron continued, "But also that I'm glad to be going home with you."

House smiled to himself a bit. "So New Jersey is home?"

Cameron smiled as well. "Home is with you, Greg."

They were silent for a bit before House broke it again. "The food was amazing, but I'm glad that's over. It's hard to try not to be sarcastic for three whole days!"

Cameron grinned. "We still have Christmas with your mother, too, dear," she said teasingly.

"Thanks for the reminder," House grumbled.

"I'm looking forward to it," Cameron countered.

"That makes one of us."

-


End file.
